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264617 Connecting the Dots: Producers, Buyers, and Cooperative Perspectives for Integrating Local Food into Large OrganizationsTuesday, October 30, 2012
: 2:50 PM - 3:10 PM
Introduction: When one thinks of food today, images of fast food restaurants, network cooking shows, and grocery store shelves, stacked with packaged food, come to mind. A response to this unhealthy food landscape is a growing movement that seeks to reconnect people and food through local and sustainable agriculture. Although interest in improving the health of communities through institutional-supported agriculture exists, limited data are available that describe how to successfully integrate local food into large organizations, such as schools, hospitals, and universities. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted to ethnographically examine institutional-supported agriculture from perspectives of buyers (hospital personnel, school and university administrators, restaurant owners), producers (dairy, meat, and produce farmers), and others involved with the local food movement in western Wisconsin. Data analysis focused on the identification of barriers, facilitators, and lessons learned for integrating local food into institutions. Results: Analysis indicates that many “dots” need to be “connected” before local food can be successfully integrated into larger organizations. Connections between producers, buyers, distributors, and community members all need to occur for local food to become part of an organization's menu. Discussion: To successfully “connect the dots,” existing barriers such as transportation and distribution issues, corporate food service contracts, hierarchical versus horizontal decision-making, lack of staff involvement, and additional time and effort must be addressed. To overcome these barriers, facilitators such as community support, building and maintaining strong relationships, recognition of the need to begin slowly and carefully, and commitment throughout the organization need to be enhanced.
Learning Areas:
Administration, management, leadershipPublic health or related research Social and behavioral sciences Learning Objectives: Keywords: Food and Nutrition, Challenges and Opportunities
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been a PI or co-investigator on multiple qualitative research studies during the past 15 years. Although the focus of the abstract being submitted is a new area of research, I employed ethnographic methodologies for which I have much experience with and have used in several other previously funded studies. As a public health nurse concerned with rising rates of obesity this study provides some direction for health promotion efforts. I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.
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