Can it be both? Local Food Initiatives for Social and Environmental Change in Communities

Abstract

This case study report is part of a research program of the BC-Alberta Social Economy Research Alliance (BALTA) looking at local food, sustainability and the social economy. It examines two Canadian initiatives, the Edmonton good food box program and the Vancouver local food hub initiative. The report begins with a discussion of approaches to sustainable community development and social justice, then considers local food systems to highlight in a general sense some of the key issues and promise of local food systems. The report then looks at the two case studies and draws out implications for looking at local food systems as catalysts for sustainability and change.