How Food Systems Promote Urban and Rural Linkages

Planner and cultural anthrologist, Danielle Schami, reports on the efforts of a group called 'Circulo' whose mission is to "provide an interface between the countryside and the city by promoting rural-urban linkages and alternatives to conventional forms of food production, consumption and commercialization." She finds similarities in Circulo's efforts to the CSA model in the U.S. and Canada, which is a "partnership of mutual commitment between a farm and a community that provides a direct link between food production and consumption." Among some of the benefits, as seen in Guadalajara, include the promotion of consumer awareness, strengthened social ties, greater commitment to the environment and fair trade, and improved standard of living.