What is a Food System?

A food system includes all aspects involved in bringing food to the table.

Food System Sectors

Production: Science, art, or occupation that involves cultivating land, raising crops, feeding, breeding or raising livestock.

Transformation + Processing: Transformation of raw ingredients, physically or chemically, transforming into a value-added market.

Distribution + Marketing: Moving product from farm or processing site to the consumer; including distribution and sales.

Consumption + Access: Opportunities for an individual to gain access to food in a physically safe, financially viable, and culturally competent way.

Resource Management: Efficient and effective deployment and allocation of community and business resources as it relates to land, water, soil, plants and created materials.

Community Core Values

Social Equity: Offering same status and equal access to social goods, services, property and freedom of speech.

Education: Promoting experiences and programming related to food systems and health for a deeper understanding and increased opportunities to build skills.

Wellness: Health status of a community, and individuals that live in it, as it relates to access to affordable and effective options for quality of life. 

Environment (built and natural): Surrounding conditions that include both natural environment and built space in which a person or animal lives.

Policy: Principles or actions that have been adopted by governments, businesses, and individuals.

Economy: Wealth and resources of a community or region that relate to the development and consumption of goods and services.