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Image: Food system map, University of Waterloo, 2021.
Everyone Interacts in a Food System
Everyone Interacts in a Food System
At its simplest level, a food system involves food production, processing, distribution, consumption, and disposal. A food system encompasses all of the processes, relationships, and people that allow food to move from farm to market to plate to disposal.
Social, economic, political, and environmental factors are involved in each step of the food system. Social factors include culture, education, marketing, inequality and inequity, hunger, and food insecurity. Economic factors include the cost of food, food corporations and monopolies, farm subsidies, and nutrition assistance programs. Political factors in the food system regulate food safety, health, food access, land access, agriculture, and school meal programs. Biology, genetics, plant science, animal science, climate change, and environmental science impact ecosystems, water, air, pollution, soil, composting, and biodiversity in food systems. These are a few of the many interconnections in the food systems.
Michigan's Food System Vision
The Michigan Good Food Charter was initially published in 2010 to build momentum for food systems efforts across Michigan. It is a tool for education, collaboration, and advocacy. The most recent charter of 2022 was developed through a multi-year collaborative process engaging representatives from over 150 Michigan agriculture, food, health, education, and governmental organizations. The charter states that a good food system is accessible, equitable, fair, healthy, diverse, and sustainable. The charter shares the following definitions of Michigan's food system vision (Scalera et al., 2022, p. 8):
"Accessible: Everyone can access and afford healthy, culturally relevant food where they live, work, learn, and play.
Equitable: The food system promotes just and fair inclusion in a society where all people can participate, prosper, and have the power to make decisions.
Fair: No one is exploited in the food production process, and people working in food systems have access to living wages, benefits, safe work environments, and pathways for career advancement.
Healthy: The food system supports opportunities for everyone to be as healthy as possible, physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually.
Diverse: The food system encourages diversity - of scale, products, means of access, production strategies, markets, ownership models, and foodways - as a strength that fosters community and system resilience as we face an unknown future.
Sustainable: The food system protects air, water, and soil now and for future generations."
In addition, the charter draws attention to the importance of recognizing systemic issues rooted in racism and dismantling unjust systems, which connects to critical food literacy.
Image: Food supply chain map from the Michigan Good Food Charter, 2022.
Overview of Michigan's Food System
No matter who you are, everybody eats, and everybody plays a role in the food system. The Michigan food system is complex and multisectoral, consisting of individuals, families, schools, gardens and farms, nonprofit and for-profit organizations, private companies, governmental agencies, institutions, networks and associations, as well as the fruits, vegetables, livestock, soil, water, and the broader environment more generally.
Below is an overview of Michigan’s food system with links to resources and examples of diverse components:
Production:
Local Farms and Farmers: Emphasizing support for small to medium-sized farms and sustainable farming practices.
Urban Agriculture and Community Gardens: Boosting local food production and community engagement.
Aquaculture and Fisheries: Sustainable practices in fishing and aquaculture.
Processing & Manufacturing:
Local Food Processing: Encouraging small-scale and local food processors that add value to raw agricultural products.
Cooperatives and Shared Facilities: Supporting shared-use kitchens and cooperatives to increase access to processing resources.
Distribution:
Food Hubs and Cooperatives: Centralizing local food distribution and marketing to improve access to regional produce.
Transportation Networks: Improving logistics (including food and freight [via air, rail, port, and roads] transportation distribution and warehouse services) that connect regional food producers and distributors with local markets.
Access & Markets:
Farmers' Markets and Direct-to-Consumer Sales: Promoting platforms where producers can sell directly to consumers.
Grocery Stores and Retail Outlets: Focusing on increasing shelf space for local and sustainably produced foods (see Flint and southeast Michigan examples).
Institutional Buyers: Leveraging the purchasing power of schools, hospitals, and businesses to support local food systems.
Consumption:
Education and Awareness Campaigns: Increasing consumer knowledge about the benefits of buying local and eating healthy.
Healthy Food Initiatives: Programs aimed at improving nutritional and health outcomes in communities, particularly historically underserved ones.
Food Security & Justice:
Food Assistance Programs: Ensuring equitable access to food through social services like SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), Double Up Food Bucks, and local food pantries.
Community Engagement and Empowerment: Involving communities in decision-making processes related to food policy and planning.
Waste & Resource Management:
Composting and Recycling Programs: Initiatives aimed at reducing food waste and promoting environmental sustainability.
Waste Reduction Strategies: Practices to minimize waste through better production, purchasing, and consumption habits.
Policy & Advocacy:
Food Policy Councils: Collaborations between multiple stakeholders to influence food policy and create systemic change.
Regulations and Incentives: Measures that promote sustainable practices, fair labor standards, and support for local producers.
Research & Innovation:
University Extension and Research Centers: Providing research and practical solutions to enhance the food system, focusing on innovation and sustainability.
Technology and Innovation: Encouraging solutions that improve efficiency and access within the food system.
Written by Justin Thompson and Sami Maldonado, March 2025.
Food Systems Overview Guide
Check out this brief printable overview of food systems written by University of Michigan students (Eldridge et al., 2023).
Food Systems Overview and Definitions.pdfReferences
References
Eldridge, S., Holland, E., Francois, K., & St. Andrew, K. (2023). Integration of food systems and school gardens into Michigan K-12 education. University of Michigan. https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/handle/2027.42/176219.
Scalera, L., Mickie, Q., Johnson, Y., Mensch, L., Kelly, R. (2022). Michigan good food charter. Michigan State University, Center for Regional Food Systems. https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/michigan-good-food-charter.
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