Why Local, Why Now? What Sustainable Food and Systems Thinking Offer for the Future
(Room JW Grand Ballroom 8)
07 Jul 18
9:00 AM
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10:15 AM
In an era bustling with international trade and people on the move, why has interest in all things local skyrocketed? What does the term really mean, and how does the systems thinking it opens up offer new ways to envision a sustainable and connected future? Drawing from her new book, Selling Local: Why Local Food Movements Matter, Indiana University professor Jennifer Meta Robinson showcases the broad appeal and impact of local food found at farmers’ markets and community supported agriculture programs along with movements for local bikes, local books, local clothing, and other markers that people increasingly use to identify where they are, who they are, and what they care about. Drawing on prodigious fieldwork and research, Robinson unlocks the passion and promise of local food movements, shows how they unfold practically in towns and on farms, and makes a persuasive argument for what they show about living together sustainably.