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Many people trace the beginnings of the Local Food Movement to the pioneering economic writings of E.F. Schumacher. Much of the thrust of his theories had to do with moderation. At a time when it has become very fashionable and profitable to think globally, Schumacher seemed to be encouraging people to act locally. The idea was that we were paying a price for the massive global economy that we were creating and this price was often too high. The price was too high in its impact on the environment. It was too high on our own sense of cultural diversity.
In the beginning, the Local Food Movement was more a grassroots reaction. People were reaching their conclusions almost independently. This accounts for the diversity of ideas within the movement. About the only thing that Local Food advocates seem to agree on is that it is a good idea. Just about everything else is controversial. There is debate over just what constitutes a local region. There are flag bearers for the idea that economic considerations are paramount, but they march side by side with the proponents of environment and health.
The grassroots organization is still the most prevalent characteristic of the Local Food Movement. Such things as food co-opts and farmer's markets are the mainstays of the movement. More sophisticated models such as the Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) are slowly becoming more popular. More and more Companies are being formed to insure distribution of local food to the local region.
One major organization that has embraced the Local Food Movement is La Via Campesina, which was formed in 1993. It advocates a decentralized food production and distribution system that puts the entire process in the hands of small and local business rather than large and remote Corporations. The organization is also known as the International Peasant Movement and is associated with other liberal issues unrelated to local food, but they do represent the move toward organizing and encouraging the grassroots support of Local Food ideas.
In many ways, the Local Food Movement is a reaction to globalization. E.F. Schumacher warned us that we were becoming too concerned with the big picture and losing sight of the value of the individual. We were becoming too concerned with the World, and forgetting about our own backyard and neighborhood. Local Food is not a simple issue, but a multidimensional one. It can be anticipated that like many movements that have shaken the world, it will need to become better organized to have a more effective impact.
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