ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the structure and performance over time of local food systems in ten urban areas in older industrial regions, while using Pittsburgh's local food system as a case study. It explores how local food systems are constructed mainly at the metropolitan level, but with attention to micro and national scales. The chapter elucidates the elements and flows of local food systems, beginning with the direct marketing channels of food to consumers via farmers markets, community supported agriculture (CSAs), and farm stands. The Local food systems have a noteworthy presence in the Rust Belt urban areas but are barely visible in the overall food provisioning landscape. The analysis of Pittsburgh continues in the section on allies or supporting organizations. The conclusion brings together the main themes of local food system performance, as revealed by an index constructed from benchmarking data, and of local food system structure, as seen from within and compared to the main food system.
