Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems · 2010 · 163 citations · 38 references
Public HealthMarketingRetail ManagementFood SystemsGeography Of ConsumptionRetail MarketingConsumer Food ChoiceConsumer Spatial BehaviorFood MarketsFood Retail SystemsLocal Food SystemsUrban Food SystemsConsumer Food DemandFood Retail EnvironmentsGrocery ShoppingLocal Food ChoiceLocal Food NetworksLocal Food SourcingLocal Food Supply ChainsSemi-structured Interviews
Local food systems consist of networks that sustain community supplies, and while traditionally promoted through direct marketing such as farmers' markets and CSAs, grocery stores are increasingly carrying and marketing local foods in response to consumer demand and market potential. The study interviewed 27 food‑retailer representatives from Oregon’s Willamette Valley to explore their sourcing and marketing practices for local foods. Retailers’ perceptions of what counts as local vary widely—spanning distances of several states, motivations such as supporting the local economy, and decision‑making levels tied to store size and ownership—contrasting with consumer and producer views and revealing both challenges and opportunities for the local food movement.
Abstract Local food systems are comprised of networks of actors that work to ensure the sustainability of food supplies within communities. While local food has typically been promoted through direct marketing strategies such as farmers' markets and community-supported agriculture (CSA), retail stores are increasingly carrying and marketing local foods in response to consumer demand and market potential. Given the frequency with which consumers shop at grocery stores, as well as the portion of consumers' food purchases made at these locations, these stores may play a significant role in the success of local agriculture and the shaping of ideology about what is ‘local’. We conducted 27 semi-structured interviews with representatives of food retailers known to source and market local foods in the four major urban centers of Oregon's Willamette Valley. Our results reveal that grocers' perceptions of local food vary significantly from one another. Additionally, our results differed in comparison to the published literature on consumers' and producers' ideas of what constitutes local. Food retailers identified varying distances (frequently a region including several states) that they consider local, as well as diverse reasons for choosing to source and market local foods (most commonly supporting the local economy). Some trends in the variation of responses relate to how the size and form of ownership of the grocery stores influence the level at which decisions are made. These wide-ranging perceptions outline many of the realities of the local food movement, as well as opportunities for change.
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