Local Food Systems

 

Overview

The term “food system” refers to the interconnected processes that connect the complex spectrum of food production to food processing, consumption, and ultimately, disposal. One specific definition provides that the food system “includes all processes involved in keeping us fed: growing, harvesting, processing (or transforming or changing), packaging, transporting, marketing, consuming and disposing of food and food packages.” (Cornell University). The food system in the United States is predominantly characterized as a complex and globally integrated system in which products are routinely produced, processed, and hundreds and thousands of miles from the point of consumption. “Local Food Systems,” as used here, is meant to denote the fact that there are a number of interrelated pieces that connect to make “local food” a component of the U.S. agricultural food system. The term “community food system” is sometimes used interchangeably with the term “local food system.” Read the full overview.

Note: Recently added resources are posted at the top of the applicable sections.

Major Statutes

Biobased Markets Program, 7 U.S.C. § 8102
Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act, 7 U.S.C. § 1932(g)(9)
Dairy Donation Program, 7 U.S.C. § 9071a
Farmer-to-Consumer Direct Marketing Act of 1976, 7 U.S.C. §§ 3001-3007
Local Agriculture Market Program, 7 U.S.C. § 1627c
Local Food Production and Program Evaluation, 7 U.S.C. § 2204h
Micro-grants for food security, 7 U.S.C. § 7518
National Training Program, 7 U.S.C. § 5832
Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 1751– 1769(j)
Sun Grant Program, 7 U.S.C. § 8114

Regulations

Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative Service, 7 C.F.R. § 2.48
Business and Industry Loans; Eligible borrowers, 7 C.F.R. § 4279.108(c)
Common Crop Insurance Regulations, 7 C.F.R. § 457.9, 119, 121, 131, 175
Cooperative Agreements, 7 C.F.R. § 4285
Farmer-to-Consumer Direct Marketing, 7 C.F.R. § 249.8
Inspection of Shiplot, Unit Train, and Lash Barge Grain in Single Lots, 7 C.F.R. § 800.86
Livestock Forage Disaster Program, 7 C.F.R. §§ 760.301–307
Milk Donation Reimbursement Program, 7 C.F.R. §§ 1146.1, 102, 106
Official United States Standards for Grain, 7 C.F.R. § 810.1602-1604

Case Law

Case Law Index for Local Food Systems

Administrative Law Decisions

Office of the Administrative Law Judges

Center published USDA Judicial Officer’s Decisions

Center Research Publications

Where’s the Beef?: Legal and Economic Considerations for Direct Beef Sales (National Ag Law Center & others, 2022)
Direct Farm Business Guides (National Ag Law Center & others, 2015)
AFRI- Legal Direct Marketing Business Guides (National Ag Law Center & U. IL Urbana)
Food Safety and Specialty Crops (R. Rumley)
Food Labeling for Specialty Crop Producers (E. Rumley, 2012)
Agricultural Contracting (R. Rumley)
Third Party Food Safety Audits (Seideman and Rainey, 2012)
Legal and Business Guide for Specialty Crop Producers (National Ag Law Center & U. AR Division of Agriculture, 2011)
General Legal Issues for Community Farmers Market Managers to Consider (Crocker, 2007)
The Farmer’s Legal Guide to Producer Marketing Associations (O’Brien, Hamilton & Leudemann, 2005)
Zoning Limitations and Opportunities for Farm Enterprise Diversification: Searching for New Meaning in Old Definitions (Branan, 2004)
Farmers’ Markets Rules, Regulations and Opportunities (Hamilton, 2002)

Congressional Research Service Reports

Reports– published and made available by CRS beginning in 2017

Subjects- published by CRS and made available by NALC until 2018:

Commodities
Farm Bills/Economic Stimulus
Food Security/Aid
Sustainable and Organic Farming

Agricultural Law Bibliography

Introduction   |   Keyword Search   |   Browse Categories

Legal publications on Local Food Systems:

Corporate Farming (Restrictions on Corporate Farming/Family Farm Preservation)
Food and Drug Law
Hunger and Food Security Issues
Hunting, Recreation and Wildlife
Sustainable and Organic Farming
Transportation

Reference Resources

Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS)

Evaluation of the USDA Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program (2021)
Farmers Market Promotion Program
Federal State Marketing Improvement Program
How to Evaluate Economic Benefits of Local Food Systems Webinar
Livestock and Poultry Program
Local and Regional Food Market News
Local Food Directories: National Farmers Market Directory
Local Food Research and Development
Local Food Promotion Program
Local Foods Promotion Program Publication: Farmers Market Consortium Resource Guide (2007)
Opening a Farmers Market on Federal Property (2009)
Pavilions, Food Hubs and Community Kitchens – Designing for Local Food Systems
Regional Food System Partnerships
Specialty Crop Block Grant Program
Specialty Crops Marketing Orders and Agreements
Supporting Local & Regional Food Systems (2020)
The National Organic Program
Transportation Research & Analysis
USDA Farmers Market 2018 Rules and Procedures & Operating Guidelines (2019)
Why Local Food Matters: Views from the National Landscape

Agricultural Research Service (ARS)

Crop Production and Protection
Natural Resources and Sustainable Agricultural Systems

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)

Animal Health
Plant Health
Urban Chicken Flocks in Four U.S. Cities: the Human/Chicken Interface (2011)

Economic Research Service (ERS)

Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018: Highlights and Implications
FoodAPS National Household Food Acquisition and Purchase Survey: Geography Component
Local Foods
Publication: Local Food Systems: Concepts, Impacts and Issues (2010)
Publication: Organic Produce, Price Premiums, and Eco-Labeling in U.S. Farmers’ Markets
Publication: Trends in U.S. and Local Food Systems: Report to Congress (2015)
Sustainable Agricultural Systems Research

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Questions & Answers: Raw Milk
National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments (NCIMS) Model Documents
Grade “A” pasteurized Milk Ordinance- 2017 Revision

Food and Nutrition Service (FNS)

10 Facts About Local Food in School Cafeterias (2022)
The Patrick Leahy Farm to School Program
Community Food Systems Fact Sheets
Department of Defense Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Program
Farmers Market Nutrition Program
Farmers Markets Accepting SNAP Benefits
Finding, Buying and Serving Local Food (2017)
Procuring Local Foods
SNAP at Farmers Markets: A How-To Handbook
SUN Meals (Summer Food Service Program)
Selling Local Food to Schools: A Resource for Producers (2017)
USDA DoD Fresh Program: A Source for Locally Grown Produce

National Agricultural Library (NAL)

Alternative Farming Systems Information Center
Community Supported Agriculture
Consumer Preference for Locally Grown Produce: An Analysis of Willingness-To-Pay and Geographic Scale
Local Foods and Communities
Local and Regional Food Systems
Sustainable Agriculture: Definitions and Terms
USDA Office of Community Food Systems

Congressional Resources

Food Loss and Waste: Building on Existing Federal Efforts Could Help to Achieve National Reduction Goal
U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry
U.S. House of Representatives Agriculture Committee
U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Small Business

Other Federal Resources

Census of Agriculture
Community Food Projects Competitive Grant Program
Feasibility of Insuring Local Food Production – Final Research Report (2021)
Local Food Marketing Practices
Local Foods, Local Places (EPA)
Federal Food Purchases: Buying from Small Businesses and Local Sources (U.S. Gov’t Accountability Off., 2024)

Additional Resources

Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas – National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service (ATTRA-NCAT)
Community Food Systems Planning (Growing Food Connections)
Database of Local Public Policies that Support Community Food Systems (Growing Food Connections)
Farm to Table: Building Local and Regional Food Systems (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education)
Farmers Market Legal Toolkit (Center for Agriculture & Food Systems)
Food Policy Networks (Johns Hopkins Center for A Livable Future)
Introduction to Local Food Systems (U. Mo. Ext.)
Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, & Community Development
Knowledgebase Collection: Food Systems (American Planning Assoc.)
Landowner and Farmer Resources (Drake U. Ag Law Ctr.)
Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture (Iowa State U.)
Local and Regional Food Systems: Index of Initiatives and Resources (Cornell)
Local Food Systems: Clarifying Current Research (N.C. State Ext.)
Local Harvest
Market Maker: Linking Agricultural and Seafood Markets
National Farm to School Network
North American Farmers’ Direct Marketing Association-International Agritourism Association
The Economics of Local Food: An Emerging Community of Practice
What are Local Food Systems? (N.C. State Ext.)
Recent Investments Fuel Local Food Systems (Nat’l Sustainable Agric. Coal., 2024)
How People Power Local Food Systems (Nat’l Sustainable Agric. Coal., 2024)
Climate-and-Farm-Friendly Food Systems (U. of Wisc. – Madison Ext.)
Reducing Barriers to Local Food Systems in New Hampshire (U. of N.H. Ext.)

Publications

A Guide to Illinois Laws Governing Farm Marketing (Schell, 2005)
Activating the Local Food System in Emergency Food Response (Ollove & Hamdi, 2021)
Before You Sign on the Dotted Line. . .Questions for Farmers to Ask Before Entering Into a Direct Marketing Agreement (Krueger, 2005)
Community Food Systems Bibliography- March 2013 Updates (UC Davis, Agriculture Sustainability Institute, 2013)
Direct Marketing (ATTRA Sustainable Agriculture, 2016)
Economic Opportunity in Local Food Systems: Baselines and Targets (Conner et al., 2011)
Establishing and Operating a Community Farmers’ Market (U. Ky. Ext.,1997)
Establishing Land Use Protections for Community Gardens (Public Health Law & Policy, 2009)
Establishing Land Use Protections for Farmers’ Markets (Public Health Law & Policy, 2009)
Exploring Food System Policy: A Survey of Food Policy Councils in the United States (Scherb et al., 2012)
Farmers Market Development Manual (Ala. Farmers Market Authority, 2005)
Food Policy Councils and Local Governments: Creating Effective Collaboration for Food Systems Change (Gupta et al., 2018)
Growing Local, Community Guide to Planning for Agriculture and Local Food Systems  (Freedgood & Fydenkevez, 2017)
Guide to Federal Funding for Local and Regional Food Systems (Nat’l Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, 2010)
Increasing Local Procurement in Farm-to-School Programs: An Exploratory Investigation (Roche et al., 2015)
Iowa Farmers’ Market Development Manual (Iowa Dep’t of Ag & Land Stewardship, 2003)
Local and Regional Food Systems (Campbell & Feenstra, UC Davis)
Dairy and Dairy Product Manufacturing (Pa. Dep’t of Ag)
Planning for Food Access and Community-Based Food Systems (Hodgson, 2012)
Raw Milk Use and Safety Fact Sheet (Center for Rural Affairs, 2007)
Regulatory Guidance for Best Practices: Cottage Foods (Ass’n of Food & Drug Officials, 2012)
The Economic, Social, and Environmental Impacts of Farmers Markets: Recent Evidence from the US (Warsaw et al., 2021)
The Impact of COVID-19 on Local Government Stakeholder’s perspectives on Local Food Production (Campbell, 2021)
Trends in U.S. Local and Regional Food Systems: Report to Congress (USDA, 2015)
Understanding Farmers’ Market Rules (Speir & Krueger, Farmers’ Legal Action Group, 2006)
Urban Farmers Markets as a Strategy to Increase Access to and Consumption of Fresh Vegetables Among SNAP and non-SNAP Participants: Results from an Evaluation (Woodruff et al., 2018)
What Does Zoning Have to Do With Local Food Systems? (Haines, 2018)
Wisconsin Local Food Marketing Guide: A Producer’s Guide to Marketing Locally Grown Food (Wisc. Dep’t of Ag, 2014)
Local Food Systems: Reviewing two Decades of Research (Enthoven & Van den Broeck, 2021)
Partnership Opportunities to Transform Food Systems (Bandura & Girgvliani, 2024)