Regional Food Systems Overview

Principles

Definition

Regional food systems is a multidisciplinary academic concept and research domain that examines the structure, dynamics, and interactions among actors involved in the production, processing, distribution, consumption, and waste management of food within a spatially bounded area. Its significance lies in analyzing the social, economic, and environmental implications of geographically concentrated food networks compared to globalized models.

Ontological type

Governance Structures

Supply Chain Configuration

Environmental Outcomes

Key developments

Key Figures

Embedded Regionalism era

Terry Marsden [1], affiliated with Cardiff University [3] and the University of Wales [4], helped define embedded regionalism in the 1997–2006 era. His key contributions in this era included examining how short food supply chains and embeddedness shape rural development, drawing on Understanding Alternative Food Networks: Exploring the Role of Short Food Supply Chains in Rural Development [7] and Quality, Nature, and Embeddedness: Some Theoretical Considerations in the Context of the Food Sector [8], which illustrated why these ideas mattered for place-based provisioning. C. Clare Hinrichs [2], affiliated with Pennsylvania State University [5] and Iowa State University [6], contributed to understanding embeddedness and local food systems during the same era. Her work on Embeddedness and local food systems: notes on two types of direct agricultural market [9] and The practice and politics of food system localization [10] highlighted how direct markets connect producers to communities and influence governance, a core insight for Embedded Regionalism.

Place-based Localization era

Robert Feagan[1] from Wilfrid Laurier University[3] anchored this era's inquiry into place-based food systems. His influential contribution centers on mapping the local dimension of food systems, notably in The place of food: mapping out the 'local' in local food systems[6], which promoted provenance-aware analyses and informed regional planning. Kevin Morgan[2] connected with Cardiff University[4] and the University of Manchester[5] during this period. He contributed through Worlds of food: place, power, and provenance in the food chain[7] and The school food revolution: public food and the challenge of sustainable development[8], highlighting governance, procurement, and school-food systems as engines of place-based provisioning.

Multi-Scale Governance era

Jill E. Hobbs [1], affiliated with the University of Saskatchewan [3], stands as a leading figure in regional food governance during the Multi-Scale Governance era. Her paper 'Food supply chains during the COVID-19 pandemic' [6] analyzes disruptions and resilience in food supply chains, illustrating why cross-scale coordination and investments in regional intermediaries are crucial for crisis response. P. C. Struik [2], connected with Wageningen University & Research [4] and Ghent University [5], contributed a global perspective on food system dynamics in this era. His work 'Increasing homogeneity in global food supplies and the implications for food security' [7] shows that rising uniformity in food supplies increases exposure to systemic risks, underscoring the need for regional diversification and governance capacity.