Benefits of developing local food links (Spring 2007)
LOCAL FOOD 09/06/2007 (version 1) Categories: Benefits of local food | local food | Downloads and other links
Summary: Food and farming play a key role in creating our culture, landscape and health. We can have a system that serves best the interests of a centralised industry. Alternatively, we can place the interests of communities, the environment and health as directors of food and farming systems. Local food schemes bring people together to make this possible and also benefit local economies. 1. Social benefits include local co-operation local distinctiveness and sense of belonging opportunities for more diverse employment increasing food culture skill and enterprise development through greater production diversity breaking down social and geographic barriers increasing local ownership and participation improving communication and understanding between urban and rural dwellers getting to know and trust people encouraging democratic control over local food production through bottom-up development increasing confidence and pride in local communities 2. Environmental benefits include reduction in convenience packaging reduction in pollution from food transport increased diversity of landscape and wildlife a reduction in potential risk from agro-chemicals, through less intensive farming practices lower stocking densities, vegetative regeneration from mixed grazing and agricultural diversification understanding and support for distinctive local landscapes 3. Health benefits include improved access to fresh, less processed, affordable food less transportation of animals improved nutrient levels in food from a reduction in transport time and storage reduction of potential risk from agricultural additives such as pesticides, herbicides and fungicides opportunities to involve people in healthier eating activities less alienation from food production and a greater sense of choice, understanding and responsibility for diet 4. Economic benefits include keeping money in the local economy local economic regeneration ensuring ‘added value’ goes to the producer encouraging entrepreneurship reversing the decline of rural services and depletion in food and farming physical infrastructure increasing sustainable enterprise and job creation supporting small business and community enterprises reducing the externalised costs of intensive agricultural practices such as cleaning the water supplies top More links Search library with term benefits of local food Search rest of website with term benefits of local food top Library documents in Benefits of local food category » Benefits of developing local food links (Spring 2007) 09/06/2007 » The benefits of developing local food links (Spring 2007) 03/09/2007 » Benefits of developing local food links 01/03/2006 » Ludlow’s butchers work together to produce the Ludlow Sausage Company 01/03/2006 (: archived document)
Address of this document: http://www.soilassociation.org/web/sa/saweb.nsf/librarytitles/2336A.HTMl
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