Building the Local Food Economy – A Call to Action
Document Actions
Read the report - Why Local Linkages Matter: Findings from the Local Food Economy Study
Attend the Workshop - February 18th, 2008 Workshop to Discuss Strategies and Actions for Growing the
Local Food Economy Based on the Study Findings. Email viki@sustainableseattle.org to register.
From the Executive Summary:
Spending involves a choice about the kind of future we want to have. Why Local Linkages Matter explains why we should care about our spending choices when it comes to sustainability.
The report describes the dollar flows and economic linkages of food-related businesses in the Central Puget Sound region of
A model of a relationship-based economy emerges from the study. The model says that the more dollars circulating locally, the greater the number of community linkages and the greater their strength. The research indicates that more and stronger linkages provide for a healthier, more diverse and resilient local economy. Simply put, locally directed buying and selling connects the community’s resources to its needs resulting in relationships that serve to restore the land and regenerate community. ...
What we are witnessing in the emergence of the local food economy is changing the idea of what makes for healthy economies – from growth based on commoditizing resources to community stewardship of resource flows. ... In the emerging local food economy, we see the promise of a sustainable future. But this web of relationships needs to be strengthened and expanded to change the bigger picture of an increasingly unsustainable food system.
Read and Comment on the Report
Readers are invited to submit comments for the final report to be published in 2008. Please email comments to Viki Sonntag at viki@sustainableseattle.org no later than February 21st, 2008.
Report Cover, Preface and Acknowledgements
Chapter 1, Introduction
Chapter 2, Economic Impact Analysis: Does spending our food dollars locally make a difference economically?
Chapter 3, Business Sustainability Analysis: What are the goals, strategies, practices and challenges of local food economy businesses?
Chapter 4, Critical Linkages Analysis: What are the critical economic linkages for developing a sustainable regional food system?
Chapter 5, Why Local Is Sustainable: How do local economic linkages contribute to environmental and community sustainability?
Chapter 6, The Case for Local Linkages: What are the strategies for strengthening local economic linkages based on the analyses?