Local Food Economies: Driving Forces, Challenges, and Future Prospects

Key driving forces for the development of local food economies include environmental concerns, farmland preservation, health and nutritional issues, community and economic development, and the creation of green and leisure spaces. A case study in southeast Michigan demonstrated local food economic development challenges that include limited access to farm land, an aging agricultural population, lack of production diversity and year-round supply, and tensions between the conventional and the alternative food supply chains. Development of a sustainable local food economy in such regions requires new generation of farmers, more production diversity and season extension, regional-level cooperation, and effective zoning laws for preserving agricultural land.