As pressures mount, food system overhaul finds audiences
A global summit just wrapped up, where topics centered around a more conscious way of growing and distributing food for populations all over, and in Minnesota, a top agricultural voice senses a desire for shaking things up.
The Global Conscious Food Systems Alliance held its first multiday meeting in South Asia. Delegates from more than 60 nations called for transformational changes within food production systems.
Gary Wertish, president of the Minnesota Farmers Union, said domestically, the thinking is continuing to catch on, including among consumers.
"Consumers are looking to buy more local (food), direct from the farmer. They feel more secure," Wertish observed. "I do think we do need to get back to more of a regional system."
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As consumers monitor foodborne illness outbreaks while still struggling with volatile costs, Wertish suggested it is time to rethink the value of leaning on a vast system with overlapping supply chains. He renewed calls for more local meat processors to boost food production resiliency. The global summit emphasized less intensive farming to make the land healthier, with consumers encouraged to pay fair prices for sustainable practices.
The Minnesota Farmers Union has its own "Keep it Local" campaign, which said retailers sourcing local foods generate three times the economic impact of stores that do not.
Wertish stressed local growers are swimming against a tidal wave of obstacles, including higher input costs and tariffs, pointing out the number of Minnesota farmers in pre-foreclosure mediation is reaching alarming levels.
"The crisis is definitely out there. You may not see it every day, but there are definitely producers under strain," Wertish explained.
Recent public polls indicate while consumers may be frustrated with higher prices at the grocery store, there is a willingness to pay a little extra for quality products grown locally. Some local food hubs around the U.S. said there is a misconception all local foods are more expensive but for some staples, they emphasized, prices are competitive.
