1、 https:/crsreports.congress.gov Updated February 24, 2016U.S. Farm Policy: Local and Regional Food SystemsWhat Are “Local Food Systems”? There is no established definition of what constitutes a “local food.” Local and regional food systems generally refer to agricultural production and marketing tha
2、t occurs within a certain geographic proximity (between farmer and consumer) or that involves certain social or supply chain characteristics in producing food (such as small family farms, urban gardens, or farms using sustainable agriculture practices). Some perceive locally sourced foods as fresher
3、 and higher in quality compared to some other readily available foods or believe that purchasing local foods helps support local farm economies and/or farmers that use production practices that are perceived to be more environmentally sustainable. Many federal programs that support local foods gener
4、ally define “local” based on the geographic distance between food production and sales based on the number of miles the food may be transported and/or require that food be sold within the state where it is produced to be considered local. A wide range of farm businesses may be considered to be engag