Building a Resilient Local Food System in Geographically Large, Population-limited State
Agricultural Issues
Kristine Lang
Brookings
Abstract
Local food systems shape food access, economic activity, and community well-being, yet in many rural states they struggle to persist and adapt despite sustained effort. South Dakota is a major agricultural producer with persistent food insecurity. Drawing on interviews (n=30) and focus group s(n=8) with 140 producers, state agencies, and non-profit organizations across the state, this study examines systemic challenges and opportunities to build a resilient local food system in a state with a limited population spread across rural communities and two urban centers. This study represents the first statewide qualitative assessment of local food system resilience. We identified interconnected challenges related to an unsupportive state culture; a lack of political and institutional support; fragmented self-organization; gaps in middle-of-the-supply-chain infrastructure; and constrained workforce capacity. Using a resilience framing, the study links these challenges to how the local food system operates and responds to change. Management and policy recommendations draw on participant perspectives and provide insights into how to build a more resilient local foodsystem in South Dakota and similar contexts.
Authors: Kristine Lang, Blake Pulse, Jennifer Zavaleta Cheek
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Kristine Lang Assistant Professor and Extension Consumer Horticulture Specialist, South Dakota State University, South Dakota, 57007
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Blake Pulse Graduate Research Assistant, South Dakota State University, South Dakota, 57007
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Jennifer Zavaleta Cheek Assistant Professor, South Dakota State University, South Dakota, 57007