Glossary

Artisanal
Non-industrial; made by hand.

Co-Producers
Businesses that contribute to the production of food through direct relationships with producers.

Commodified Food
Industrially produced food sold in markets governed by undifferentiated price competition.

Commoditize
To make a product or service into a commodity.

Community Building
Intentional development of a community’s resources, especially its social resources.

Community Stewardship
Caring for a community's resources.

Community-Based
Having strong ties to a community by virtue of participation in the community.

Conscious Buying
Attention to the social and environmental impacts of purchases.

Food Dollar
The portion of a household's, enterprise's or community's budget spent on food.

Food Value Chain
The businesses involved in the production, processing, distribution and retailing of farm and food products.

Institutional Food Service
Food service in end-use institutions such as hospitals and schools.

Leakages (or Spending Leakages)
Dollars leaving an economy from purchases made from businesses located outside the community.

Linkages
Connections or relationships between enterprises and consumers.

Local Food Economy
The network of community-based food businesses.

Locally Directed Spending
Purchasing from community-based enterprises in preference to buying from businesses headquartered outside a region, but which may have local operations, such as a retail store.

Locavore
A consumer who directs his or her spending toward locally produced foods, goods and services.

Organic
Food grown according to pre-defined standards, which include the use of feed or fertilizer of plant or animal origin and excluding chemically formulated fertilizers, growth stimulants, antibiotics and pesticides.

Purveyor
Business that furnishes food to the general public, such as a restaurant or grocery store.

Small-Lot Variety
Variability from lot to lot of product produced in small lots.

Stakeholders
People who have a share or an interest, as in an enterprise or a community.

Sustainability
The ability to maintain a just and healthy system over the long term.