Performing Department
Agr Economics
Non Technical Summary
High performing local food systems (LFSs) involve complex interactions of market channels and place-specific attributes. Further, perceptions and preferences regarding what constitutes an active, healthy, and vibrant LFS likely differ between consumers, producers, and food-related businesses within a community. Producers, agricultural businesses, and LFS development entities would benefit from a process that quickly assesses how different aspects of a LFS are 1) valued by resident consumer and producer groups and 2) performing according to stakeholder expectations. We propose to refine a recently piloted rapid assessment process - a Local Food System Vitality Index - and then use Index results to suggest LFS development strategies for 16 communities in the US South. Our proposed project complements several significant efforts by regional development organizations to better understand LFSs and prioritize development efforts. For instance, the USDA Southern Risk Management Education Center (SRMEC), the Southern Rural Development Center (SRDC), and the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SARE) all have convened research and Extension professionals to help identify LFS priorities particularly for Land Grant Universities in the South [1]. These organizations subsequently created an interdisciplinary SERA47 project - "Strengthening the Southern Region Extension and Research System to Support Local and Regional Foods Needs and Priorities" [2]. Additionally, the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has created The Economics of Local Food Systems Toolkit which allows LFS stakeholders to quantify the impact of different local food system projects or investments [3]. Our local food systems vitality (LFSV) index provides a starting point for understanding where different stakeholders - resident food consumers and local food producers - prefer LFS investment. It also characterizes how specific elements of LFSs contribute to system vitality, functionality, and performance. This includes understanding place-based stakeholder preferences, relationships, and values related to local food activity, marketing, and production. Our proposed research specifically addresses program priorities by 1) understanding factors and conditions that enhance economic opportunities for food, agricultural, and rural businesses, 2) examining approaches to expanding local and regional food systems while maintaining benefits of local identity, and 3) evaluating policies, institutions, and infrastructure that promote the sustainability of LFS-related businesses. In general, this project provides an objective analytical framework for LFS development that deepens knowledge regarding complex relationships among LFSs' diverse elements while recognizing priorities for different stakeholders in the South. This is understandably a large and challenging task, but we suggest a rapid assessment process provides useful and actionable data that inform investment decisions for LFS development leaders in diverse communities. By understanding what aspects of a LFS residents value, producers and policymakers can prioritize the development and support of programs, strategies, infrastructure, and resources that meet consumer demands and aid in the sustainable expansion of agriculture-related businesses in rural communities.
Animal Health Component
0%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
100%
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
The goal of this project is build vibrant food systems in the South by measuring place-based consumer preferences for LFS attributes, measuring the key LFS attributes important to producers, and prioritizing strategies to address obstacles and opportunities for market diversification and growth. Supporting Objectives Research Objectives 1) Provide LFS development stakeholders with a rapid assessment process to compare and contrast the performance of specific elements of a local food system across market channels. This assessment process requires: a. Developing and refining two dynamic Local Food System Vitality (LFSV) Index models grounded in the LFS performance perceptions of consumers (LFSVc index) 2 and producers (LFSVp index). These survey-based index models provide information on which LFS elements stakeholders perceive as most critical to a sustainable LFS. b. Developing a process to characterize the potential importance of LFS elements in nonsurveyed communities by comparing index scores from surveyed communities of similar size, location, or demographic composition. 2) Conduct in-depth case studies of four surveyed locations to verify index results. Cases will: a. Identify how communities with high LFS activity developed institutions and social relationships to facilitate robust exchange of local agricultural goods, ideas, and events. b. Identify typical barriers to LFS development in communities with lower index scores. 3) Apply the results of research objectives 1 & 2 to theorize innovative strategies to facilitate the relationship between LFS stakeholders in case study locations. 4) Produce a regional dataset of producer and consumer LFS performance evaluations conducive to analyzing broader trends and suggesting development strategies in the South. Extension Objectives 1) Connect regional stakeholders through collaborative index development and evaluation. 2) Provide information to producers about effective market opportunities by utilizing results from the consumer LFSV index. 3) Provide LFS development entities with farmer perspectives from the LFSVp index regarding key barriers, opportunities, and resources that influence market opportunities in their LFS. 4) Collaborate with stakeholders using indices and case studies to prioritize strategies for strengthening surveyed communities through business/institutional relationships, coalition building, and infrastructure development.
Project Methods
The proposed project employs a mixed methods approach. In Phase I, we implement our Consumer Local Food System Vitality (LFSVc) survey to develop a regional index model and dataset that measures local food activity and functioning across the US South. We will develop this index by surveying 16 communities across the US South selected with input from the SERA47 group. Our survey, described in the pilot data section, asks participants to rate 20 elements of their LFS in terms of perceived performance. We will regress these ratings, along with selected demographic and place-specific variables, against an overall rating of local food vitality. This analysis indicates which elements are critical to consumer ideas of LFS vitality as well as relative element performance. In Phase II, we will create a producer LFSV (LFSVp) index using a similar approach to the LFSVc. We will conduct focus groups with local producers in Kentucky to develop a survey which will be given to producers actively selling to the 16 communities surveyed in Phase I. We will engage SRMEC, SRDC, SERA-47, and AMS in the development of the LFSV elements for the survey and index. We will generate an index baseline by pooling and averaging survey responses from all locations. In Phase III, we will use index scores to initiate in-depth case studies in four of the surveyed communities. We will rank the 16 surveyed communities according to a combination of their consumer and producer vitality scores. We will then conduct case studies on two communities each at the top and bottom of this combined index ranking. These cases will assess attributes, resources, and challenges of the LFS that shape rural economic development opportunities. Blending interviews and focus groups, case studies will describe lessons learned from these communities on how local food systems are developed and strengthened through diverse means. Following these case studies, we will work with the SRMEC and both Extension and Research personnel associated with SERA47 in these case study locations to create a portfolio of strategies for strengthening their LFSs. In Phase IV, we will work with SERA47 local foods committee, Cooperative Extension, and other stakeholders in each surveyed community to identify priorities for facilitating LFS development based on index results and case studies. These networks can then develop approaches to strengthen infrastructures, policies, and social relationships in support of their LFS.Phase I - Consumer Local Food System Vitality (LFSVc) Index Development through SurveysThe team will first develop the LFSVc Index. As described above, we surveyed Lexington residents (as well as a selection of respondents across the US) to rate the 1) functioning of 20 different elements of their local food system and 2) the overall vitality of the food system. Through order logistic regression analysis, we identify which LFS elements are correlated to overall perception of food system vitality in different locations. This analysis gives a sense of which elements residents value most in their food system. The research team will use these preliminary results to streamline the survey. We will send this revised survey to residents in 16 locations across the US Southeast to develop a dynamic consumer LFSV index for each location. We will select at least one location from each of the 13 Southeastern states. Eight locations will be rural and eight will be urban. Locations will also be selected to represent different 1) physiographic regions (e.g. Appalachian Plateau, the Coastal Plain, Mississippi Delta, etc.), 2) socioeconomic levels, 3) population size, and, 4) historical reputation for LFS activity. The SERA47 group and the SRMEC local foods team will help identify specific locations in each state that may provide contrasts and different lessons for what constitutes a food system with vitality.Phase II - Producer Local Food System Vitality (LFSVp) Index DevelopmentFirst, we will hold two focus groups in Kentucky with diverse producers engaged in DTC markets. We will ask producers to 1) characterize their local food system in terms of vitality and functioning, 2) list and rank specific features of the LFS they find particularly important/valuable, and 3) rate these features for functioning. These questions will explore conditions farmers feel are required to create long-term LFS sustainability. We expect that the specific features/attributes of a LFS listed and valued by producers will be somewhat different from consumers. For instance, while consumers identified a number of market channels as important, farmers may also value elements such as 1) access to technical assistance, 2) access to markets and/or market information, and 3) regional investment in processing infrastructure. Through this process, we will engage our SMREC, SRDC, and SERA47 partners to refine our list of LFS aspects important to producers in terms of (but not limited to) developing or maintaining market opportunities and improving farmer quality of life.Phase III - Community-Specific Case Studies and Index RefinementOnce both the producer and consumer index models are developed, we will select four communities in the South in which to conduct in-depth case studies. The case studies will assess what elements are important to creating and maintaining an active LFS in these communities. We will choose each community using index data. First, we will look at index scores in Phases I and II of the 12 survey to identify which communities scored high and low on both producer and consumer indices. We will choose one high- and one low-ranking community based on each index from which to conduct a case study. Additionally, of these four cases, two will be urban and two will be rural. Each case study will analyze the key institutional processes, infrastructures, policies, and social resources that may have contributed to the index score. The case studies will build on the LFSV indices in two ways. First, they will provide validation or allow correction of the index methodology by 'ground-truthing' LFSVc and LFSVp model results. Second, they will help to identify those resources, policies, and social relationships most appropriate for building local food systems. By choosing these combinations, we identify why residents and producers evaluate certain aspects of their local food systems as functional or not.Phase IV - Identifying Priorities for LFS Development in Participant StatesUsing a combination of index results from Phases I & II and the case studies from Phase III, the research team will collaborate with the Local Foods SERA47, SRMEC, SSARE, and state Extension personnel in each participating state to identify priorities for strengthening food vitality in their LFSs. We will consider a combination of strategies which enhance social capital, address infrastructural advantages and deficiencies, and match supply- and demand-side goals of stakeholders. First, we will undertake a broader analysis of pooled data from all states in our consumer and producer indices. We will use regression analyses to determine what food system attributes and demographics correlate with overall system vitality in our indices. From this analysis, we will segment 13 our consumers and producers based on particular patterns of what LFS elements they value. We will also characterize issues that generally face places that meet particular criteria. For instance, in our national survey, the general urban consumer who has high interest in local food systems associated the following elements with a strong LFS: food education programs, food banks that source fresh food, food festivals, and community gardens. In contrast, the general rural resident from our national survey associated different elements with a strong LFS: farm-to-school programs, restaurants sourcing locally, community gardens, food festivals, price competitiveness, and product diversity.