Food Production And What This Means
Food production means the way food is grown or raised; harvested or slaughtered; processed, packaged or prepared for consumer consumption. Like an ecosystem, it is good to think of this area as a Food system. A food system also includes the destribution methods. Food systems can be divided into two major types: the global industrial food system and sustainable/local food systems.
Food Distribution
By the time food gets to you it has probably traveled the world! The ways food reaches consumers vary between local food systems and the global industral food system. Some foods are subsidized reducing their cost to raise and grow, changes to the methods of harvesting, transportation, enable conventional foods to be shipped over long distances for very low costs to the producers. Globalized food relies heavily on centralizd processing, and packing facilities which are very far away from the grower and consumer. Local food systems value a shorter distribution distance between the grower/producer and consumer. Local food systems often cut out the middlemen involved.
Sustainable/Local Food Distribution
Local food production and distribution networks often start on smaller, sustainable family farms. Farm products are transported over shorter geographic distances, generally processed on site on the farm or with smaller processors. Sustainable and local food distribution networks rely on two markets: the direct-to-consumer market and direct-to-retail such as food service and instituion market.
Farmers' Markets
Farmers' Markets are communal spaces in which multiple producers gather to sell their farm proucts directly to consumers. Farmers' markets may be municipally or privately managed and may be seasonal or year-round. Farmers may have to pay a vendor's or similar fee to participate, and must transport their own farm products to the market site.
Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs)
Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs) are direct-to-consumer programs in which a consumer buy a share of a local farm's projected harvest. Consumers are often required to pay for their share of the harvest up front. They also pick up their CSA shares in a communal location, or the shares may be delivered directly to customers.