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The information will be useful to read prior to making the Power Point Presentation FS-2 The study of food systems is important for urban and rural (farm and non-farm) students. After all, everyone has to eat! The food system can be defined as a process by which food is produced, transformed by processing, made available for purchase, consumed, and portions of the product and/or its packaging discarded or recycled. The food system has a number of component stages. These include: Food production: Production refers to making or creating goods for human consumption. Food can be produced on farms, greenhouses, of orchards where it is grown and harvested. Food can also be "caught" in lakes, rivers, and oceans. A number of inputs are needed to grow the food, including soil, water, fertilizer, feed, machinery, seeds, pesticides, human labor and nonrenewable/renewable fuels. Food transformation: This state is often referred to as "processing". Transformation refers to a change in structure, composition, character, value, or condition. Many foods are processed to some degree before they are consumer. Foods may be processed in factories, restaurants, and our own homes. Food is processed to increase the food's uses, to add value(for producer or processor), to increase the storage or shelf life of the product, or to increase the product's nutritional value. A number of inputs may be needed for food transformation, including water, machinery, human labor and nonrenewable/renewable fuels. Food distribution: In this stage the food is dispersed using various transportation methods. Food distribution includes the marketing, transportation, storage, and retailing of the food products. Food may be transported in cooled trucks to warehouses for distribution to retail grocery stores. Food is currently distributed throughout the world. Many food items travel thousands of miles before they reach the consumer's table. Inputs needed for food distribution include nonrenewable/renewable fuels, transportation networks, and human labor. Food access: Access refers to the places where people can purchase food, or exchange some other goods or labor for food. In Iowa, food can be purchased from retail and wholesale grocery stores, at restaurants, farmers markets, community supported agriculture projects, on-farm stands, and through food service (catering) operations. Most Iowans do not have problems accessing food, although some may lack full access to food because of economic or social reasons. Inputs needed for food access include structures (buildings), human labor, and nonrenewable/renewable fuels. Food consumption: Consumption refers to the purchasing and eating of food. Food consumption is influenced by a number of factors, including food cost, appearance, taste, and nutritional value. Americans spent $715 billion for food in 1997 (Economic Research Service, USDA Bulletin No. 965). Iowans spent over $2.5 billion in eating and drinking places in 1998 (Sales and Marketing Management - 1998). Outputs: Food is the most important output of the food production system. There are many other outputs created in the system component stages; some of these are unwanted outputs such as pollution or garbage. Examples of food systems There are many different food systems, and these systems range from rather simple to complex. A simple food system might be green beans grown in your own garden, processed and cooked in your kitchen, and eaten by your family. A more complex system might be french fries, where potatoes from Idaho are grown, harvested, shipped to a processing plant, processed into french fries, and distributed to restaurants and grocery stores. In the restaurant or home, french fries are heated in oil and fried befire they are finally consumed. This example of a complex food system involves more steps and higher transportation, human labor and energy costs than the simple system. Examples of food systems include:
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a local food system in which farmers provide fresh food, fiber, and related products directly to consumers in their area. For more information about CSAs, obtain a copy of ISU Extension Bulletin PM-1694 (Iowa CSA Farms) and Pm-1694 - Iowa Community Supported Agriculture Resource Guide for Producers and Organizers.
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