Our current food system has decimated rural communities and confined the choices of urban consumers. Even while America continues to ramp up farm production to astounding levels, net farm income is now lower than at the onset of the Great Depression, and one out of every eight Americans faces hunger. But a healthier and more equitable food system is possible. In Building Community Food Webs, Ken Meter shows how grassroots food and farming leaders across the U.S. are tackling these challenges by constructing civic networks. Overturning extractive economic structures, these inspired leaders are engaging low-income residents, farmers, and local organizations in their quest to build stronger communities. Community food webs strive to build health, wealth, capacity, and connection. Their essential element is building greater respect and mutual trust, so community members can more effectively empower themselves and address local challenges. Farmers and researchers may convene to improve farming practices collaboratively. Health clinics help clients grow food for themselves and attain better health. Food banks engage their customers to challenge the root causes of poverty. Municipalities invest large sums to protect farmland from development. Developers forge links among local businesses to strengthen economic trade. Leaders in communities marginalized by our current food system are charting a new path forward. Building Community Food Webs captures the essence of these efforts, underway in diverse places including Montana, Hawai‘i, Vermont, Arizona, Colorado, Indiana, and Minnesota. Addressing challenges as well as opportunities, Meter offers pragmatic insights for community food leaders and other grassroots activists alike.

Local Food Systems and Community Economic Development provides scholarly and practical knowledge on a range of issues often associated with local food system development. Many people agree that there are unintended consequences associated with the manner in which our food supply chain has evolved. These concerns range in focus from health, to environment, to economic structure, to social justice. But, for each argument critical of our current food system, there are to be found strong counter-arguments; the popular press is replete with stories that lean toward taking specific sides in these arguments, often demonizing those on the other side. In this volume local food scholars strive to be fair, balanced, and as factual as possible in their arguments. This even-handed approach is appropriate as it should foster more sustainable community change and should lead us toward a stronger foundation for scholarly inquiry and ultimately more respect and credibility for efforts to better understand the phenomenon of local and regional food system development. Amidst a deepening interest in local food systems as a community economic development strategy, Local Food Systems and Community Economic Development will be of great interest to scholars of community development, rural studies, agriculture, food systems, and rural economy. The chapters originally published as a special issue of Community Development.

With practical examples of alternative building, renewable energy, holistic forestry, no-till gardening, hospitality management, community outreach, and more The Community-Scale Permaculture Farm describes not only the history of the D Acres project, but its evolving principles and practices that are rooted in the land, its inhabitants, and the joy inherent in collective empowerment. For almost twenty years, D Acres of New Hampshire has challenged and expanded the common definition of a farm. As an educational center that researches, applies, and teaches skills of sustainable living and small-scale organic farming, D Acres serves more than just a single function to its community. By turns it is a hostel for travelers to northern New England, a training center for everything from metal- and woodworking to cob building and seasonal cooking, a gathering place for music, poetry, joke-telling, and potluck meals, and much more. While this book provides a wide spectrum of practical information on the physical systems designed into a community-scale homestead, Trought also reviews the economics and organizational particulars that D Acres has experimented with over the years. The D Acres model envisions a way to devise a sustainable future by building a localized economy that provides more than seasonal produce, a handful of eggs, and green appliances. With the goal of perennial viability for humanity within their ecosystem, D Acres is attempting an approach to sustainability that encompasses practical, spiritual, and ethical components. In short: They are trying to create a rural community ecology that evolves in perpetuity. From working with oxen to working with a board of directors, no other book contains such a wealth of innovative ideas and ways to make your farm or homestead not only more sustainable, but more inclusive of, and beneficial to, the larger community. Readers will find information on such subjects as: Working with pigs to transform forested landscapes into arable land; Designing and building unique, multifunctional farm and community spaces using various techniques and materials; Creating and perpetuating diverse revenue streams to keep your farm organization solvent and resilient; Receiving maximum benefits and yields for the farm without denigrating resources or the regional ecology; Implementing a fair and effective governance structure; Constructing everything from solar dehydrators and cookers to treehouses and ponds; and, Connecting and partnering with the larger community beyond the farm. Emphasizing collaboration, cooperation, and mutualism, this book promises to inspire a new generation of growers, builders, educators, artists, and dreamers who are seeking new and practical ways to address today's problems on a community scale.

Food has become an essential component in community development practice. Whether in reference to building a local or regional food system or addressing food insecurity, food has become a focus in community development approaches in many localities. Farmers markets, community gardens, farm-to-school programs, and other food-centered initiatives have been used to foster community development processes across a spectrum of desired outcomes. The surging interest in food for fostering community development draws attention to numerous applications, ranging from grassroots efforts to formal programs sponsored by the public or nonprofit sectors. These efforts are often in conjunction with local private businesses, helping create micro-businesses and supporting the small farm movement. Some regions are even considering economic development strategies of "food clusters" to promote speciality food businesses and supporting programs. This volume explores the relationships between food and community, and the various approaches for development through a selection of chapters illustrating a wide range of applications. This book is a compilation of articles published in the journal Community Development.

Local Food Systems and Community Economic Development provides scholarly and practical knowledge on a range of issues often associated with local food system development. Many people agree that there are unintended consequences associated with the manner in which our food supply chain has evolved. These concerns range in focus from health, to environment, to economic structure, to social justice. But, for each argument critical of our current food system, there are to be found strong counter-arguments; the popular press is replete with stories that lean toward taking specific sides in these arguments, often demonizing those on the other side. In this volume local food scholars strive to be fair, balanced, and as factual as possible in their arguments. This even-handed approach is appropriate as it should foster more sustainable community change and should lead us toward a stronger foundation for scholarly inquiry and ultimately more respect and credibility for efforts to better understand the phenomenon of local and regional food system development. Amidst a deepening interest in local food systems as a community economic development strategy, Local Food Systems and Community Economic Development will be of great interest to scholars of community development, rural studies, agriculture, food systems, and rural economy. The chapters originally published as a special issue of Community Development.

Food has become an essential component in community development practice. Whether in reference to building a local or regional food system or addressing food insecurity, food has become a focus in community development approaches in many localities. Farmers markets, community gardens, farm-to-school programs, and other food-centered initiatives have been used to foster community development processes across a spectrum of desired outcomes. The surging interest in food for fostering community development draws attention to numerous applications, ranging from grassroots efforts to formal programs sponsored by the public or nonprofit sectors. These efforts are often in conjunction with local private businesses, helping create micro-businesses and supporting the small farm movement. Some regions are even considering economic development strategies of "food clusters" to promote speciality food businesses and supporting programs. This volume explores the relationships between food and community, and the various approaches for development through a selection of chapters illustrating a wide range of applications. This book is a compilation of articles published in the journal Community Development.

Loyalty is one of the main assets of a brand. In today’s markets, achieving and maintaining loyal customers has become an increasingly complex challenge for brands due to the widespread acceptance and adoption of diverse technologies by which customers communicate with brands. Customers use different channels (physical, web, apps, social media) to seek information about a brand, communicate with it, chat about the brand and purchase its products. Firms are thus continuously changing and adapting their processes to provide customers with agile communication channels and coherent, integrated brand experiences through the different channels in which customers are present. In this context, understanding how brand management can improve value co-creation and multichannel experience—among other issues—and contribute to improving a brand’s portfolio of loyal customers constitutes an area of special interest for academics and marketing professionals. This Special Issue explores new areas of customer loyalty and brand management, providing new insights into the field. Both concepts have evolved over the last decade to encompass such concepts and practices as brand image, experiences, multichannel context, multimedia platforms and value co-creation, as well as relational variables such as trust, engagement and identification (among others).

Against the backdrop of a world increasingly concerned with the health of the planet, the promotion of sustainable culinary tourism takes on heightened importance. It provides a unique opportunity to engage tourists and locals in a collaborative effort to preserve and celebrate the diverse gastronomic heritage of the world. Food has transcended its role as mere sustenance to become a universal language, effortlessly bridging national divides, linguistic complexities, and cultural distinctions. Promoting Sustainable Gastronomy Tourism and Community Development is an exploration of the dynamic relationship between gastronomy, tourism, and community growth. In a world where cultural intersections are increasingly common, this book unveils the pivotal role of regional culinary traditions in shaping sustainable tourism and fostering local development. The book delves into cuisine, tourism, and community development. Beyond being a palate-pleasing indulgence, gastronomy tourism emerges as a formidable force for positive change. By embracing regional cuisines, individuals contribute to local economies, safeguard cultural legacies, and advance environmental sustainability, all while relishing delectable dishes.

Documents how racial and social inequalities are built into our food system, and how communities are creating environmentally sustainable and socially just alternatives. Popularized by such best-selling authors as Michael Pollan, Barbara Kingsolver, and Eric Schlosser, a growing food movement urges us to support sustainable agriculture by eating fresh food produced on local family farms. But many low-income neighborhoods and communities of color have been systematically deprived of access to healthy and sustainable food. These communities have been actively prevented from producing their own food and often live in “food deserts” where fast food is more common than fresh food. Cultivating Food Justice describes their efforts to envision and create environmentally sustainable and socially just alternatives to the food system. Bringing together insights from studies of environmental justice, sustainable agriculture, critical race theory, and food studies, Cultivating Food Justice highlights the ways race and class inequalities permeate the food system, from production to distribution to consumption. The studies offered in the book explore a range of important issues, including agricultural and land use policies that systematically disadvantage Native American, African American, Latino/a, and Asian American farmers and farmworkers; access problems in both urban and rural areas; efforts to create sustainable local food systems in low-income communities of color; and future directions for the food justice movement. These diverse accounts of the relationships among food, environmentalism, justice, race, and identity will help guide efforts to achieve a just and sustainable agriculture.

Case Studies in Food Retailing and Distribution aims to close the gap between academic researchers and industry professionals through the presentation of 'real world' scenarios and the application of field-based research. The book provides contemporary explorations of food retailing and consumption from various contexts around the globe. Using a case study lens, successful examples of practice are provided and areas for further theoretical investigation are offered. Coverage includes: - the impact of retail concentration and the ongoing relevance of independent retailing - how social forces impact upon food retailing and consumption - trends in organic food retailing and distribution - discussion of how wellbeing and sustainability have impacted the sector - perspectives on the future of food retailing and distribution This book is a volume in the Consumer Science and Strategic Marketing series. - Addresses business problems in in food retail and distribution - Includes pricing and supply chain management - Discusses food retailing in urban and rural settings - Covers both global distribution and entry in developing nations - Features real-world case studies that demonstrate what does and does not