Local Food Sovereignty, Coming To a Home Near You ?

The small town of Sedgwick, Maine, a small rural farming community with a population barely above 1000, has passed a local ordinance which states that community members can enter into purchase agreements with food producers or processors where purchasers are able to wave liability for the producer. This is an attempt by the community to sidestep federal agricultural regulations which strain local food production opportunities and benefit the large scale food producers which currently dominate the agricultural sector. Ever increasing regulations place a disproportionate burden on small scale farmers, and in order to survive, many believe they will simply have to be excused from their application.

Local food production has been gaining in popularity in recent years and this marks the first claim of food sovereignty in the nation. While it can be assumed that the ordinance will be challenged  in the court of law, this can certainly be seen as a step in a movement which will play a significant role in reducing our nation's environmental impact and in reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with large scale agricultural production.

The benefits of small farms and locally produced food products have been bandied about for years. The environmental benefits are especially significant, as large scale, corporate food producers have become notorious for their impact on the environment and the general problems which the system creates for both the environment as well as the consumer and the traditional, small scale farmer. What's more, recent food born illness outbreaks, which have almost exclusively come from large scale producers, have created a public health crisis.

Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms, who was featured in the film Food Inc, briefly discusses here the role of the local farm, some of its challenges and why local food is better food.