OUGD505: Studio Brief 2 - Research: Local Produce Introduction

OUGD505: Studio Brief 2/ Product, Range and Distribution  

Research: Local Produce Introduction 

There is no consensus on a definition of ‘local’ or ‘local food systems’ in terms of the geographic distance between production and consumption. But defining ‘local’ based on marketing arrangements, such as farmers selling directly to consumers or at regional farmers markets and establishments, is well recognised. (Martinez, 2010) Sundbo’s (2013) consumer and producer survey clarified the ambiguity around the term ‘local’: consumers and producers are identified to have similar ideas as to what constitutes as 'local' food. The perception of what defines local foods tends to focus around production and purchasing characteristics such as small-scale production and direct to consumer sales mechanisms. 

While local foods may not be a concretely defined concept, it is clear that there is growing demand for locally grown and processed food products. local food chains with fewer intermediaries between the producer and end-consumer are widely described as a way to promote sustainable consumption systems. (sirieix et al in Florkowski and Shewfelt, 2009) One key characteristic of the economic development argument in support of local foods is how buying and consuming local foods ‘helps the farmers.’ The general idea is that purchase of locally grown and processed food shortens the supply chain and thus the benefits of a local foods sale accrue directly to the farmers and producers instead of to geographically distant middlemen (i.e., wholesalers and distributors). 

This introduction helps to holistically begin to understand the broad and evolving nature of local farming and produce, the academic referencing allows a reliable reference of information from notable theorists and researchers that aid my understanding of the issues and benefits surrounding localised produce. 


Florkowski, W. and Shewfelt, R. (2009). Postharvest handling. Amsterdam: Elsevier/Academic Press.

Martinez, S. (2010). Local food systems. [Washington, D.C.]: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.

Sundbo, Donna Isabella Caroline. “Local Food: The Social Construction of a Concept.” Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section B - Soil & Plant Science 63.sup1 (2013): 66–77. Taylor and Francis+NEJM. Web. 6 May. 2016.