Food, An Urban Issue?

Placing the Food System on the Urban Agenda: The Role of Municipal Institutions in Food System Planning

This article focuses on the validity of food systems being included in the planning realm. In my mind food systems have always been an integral part of planning; however the authors point out that historically food has not been included or categorized as an urban issue, rather one for rural and/or regional policy. Because food is always available, not always equitably but available nonetheless, urban dwellers and policy makers haven’t been forced to make the food system an urban priority.

Whether the produce comes from down the road or five states over, it still gets to the grocery store, but what about the urban people going hungry? Just because food is still on the shelves doesn’t mean that ALL can afford it. Food costs rise because of the supply chain used to get it to your dinner table. Food logistics is a huge part of the food system and a major reason the current food system is inadequate. 

Even now, in 2013, someone (a fellow planning student I might add) who read this blog asked why I would include a post about Food Logistics, a website and magazine completely dedicated to information on the food supply chain. Beyond regulation of food safety and security, food is the only basic necessity that is basically left in the hands of the private sector. There’s no “Department of Food” centrally or locally that is making sure that we have the most efficient means of acquiring one of only a few essential things we need to sustain life; air is free and water is regulated. Just because people aren’t dying of hunger and children’s’ bellies aren’t swollen with emptiness, doesn’t mean we have a system that works. 

Planners should be taking the urban food system into consideration when comprehensive planning. Pointing out food deserts without looking at other aspects of the food system or providing solutions and alternatives is useless. 

Source: Kameshwari Pothukuchi and Jerome L. Kaufman. Agriculture and Human Values. 16 213-224, 1999.