Counting Local Food Consumption

• Main Authors: David Conner, Florence Becot, Ellen Kahler, Jake Claro, Annie Harlow
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Thomas A. Lyson Center for Civic Agriculture and Food Systems 2020-01-01
• Series: Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development
• Subjects: Local Food; Community Development; Methods; Consumption
• Online Access: https://foodsystemsjournal.org/index.php/fsj/article/view/773

As interest in local food systems as a community development tool increases, scholars and practi­tioners are looking for methods to count progress toward benchmarks. This paper reports on efforts to count local food consumption as part of a statewide strategic plan for food systems develop­ment in Vermont. It provides longitudinal data from three waves of counting (2011, 2014, and 2017), finding increases over time due to both increased consumption and improved counting methods. The paper reflects on successes and challenges over the study period, focusing on data availability, key assumptions, and limitations. It concludes with future directions of inquiry into measuring food relocalization efforts.