The Food System Wheel
A food system includes all the processes and infrastructure involved in feeding a population, as depcted in the sectors below. The Food System Wheel below is Homegrown Hillsborough’s depiction of the interconnected aspects that influence nutrition, food, health, community development, and agriculture.
Production (PROD)
Primary food production of crops and animals from agriculture and fishing. It includes backyard gardneing, container gardening, community gardens, urban farms, commodity farms, vertical growing, aquaponics, hydroponics, livestock, and protein production.
Distribution (DIST)
Food distributors bridge between the people who produce food and those who sell it by gathering products from farmers and food processors, storing them in warehouses, and then transporting them to retail and wholesale buyers. It includes supply chain development, post-harvest handling, and redistribution of food.
Consumption (CONS)
Taking food that is ready to prepare and/or using knowledge of food preparation techniques and cooking appliances to create food that is ready to eat. Consumption is where nutrition is emphasized and includes nuturion education, cooking classes, culture, food, and seasonal recipes.
The Food System Sectors Described
Processing (PRCS)
Processing includes cutting, cleaning, packaging, storage, and refrigeration of raw foods to prvent spoilage before reaching consumers. It involves coverting raw ingredients into edible forms and includes value-added products, food safety, entrepreneurship, and commerical kitchens/infrasture.
Marketing (MAR)
Food marketing includes building customer relationships, raising brand awareness, and developing new products as well as advertising, paying for prominent shelf space, and other strategies to boost sales. Examples include Supplemental Nuturion Assistance Program (SNAP) for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and Fresh Access Bucks (FAB).
Resource Management (RM)
Natural resource management encompasses ethical, economical, social, and technological considerations for potecting the environment and maintaining ecosystem integrity by safeguarding access to energy, food, and water. This includes organic material, waste resources allocation, and planning for sustainable outcomes.