Local food activity in the Republic of Ireland and Great Britain

Abstract

Recent changes in local food supply systems have attracted substantial research interest, but little consideration has been paid to exactly where they occur. This article combines data from three studies to compare local food system development in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland using a single index of food relocalisation, thereby exploring the usefulness of the Index across different social and political contexts. Four diagnostic indicators suggest that local food systems in the south west of Ireland and Britain are particularly well developed. The Index itself is a useful tool for making international comparisons, being easy to replicate and allowing the integration of different data sets. Perhaps its greatest utility is that it opens up new avenues for further research.

Keywords:

• relocalisation
• local food
• alternative food networks

Acknowledgements

Funding for the research projects reported in this article was gratefully received from the Economic and Social Research Council and the Countryside Agency, the Scottish Government, and the College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences, University College Cork. The authors also thank: Jenny Johnston for drawing the map; their research colleagues Joni Kirwan, Phillip Leat, Cesar Revoredo-Giha, Brian Ilbery and Moya Kneafsey; as well as Colin Sage and participants at the Conference of Irish Geographers held in Cork in May 2009.

Notes

1. The research for this article was undertaken while Jane Ricketts Hein was a Lecturer in the Department of Geography, University College Cork.

2. The Farm Retail Association and the National Association of Farmers’ Markets became part of FARMA after Ricketts Hein et al. (2006) had conducted their research.