Linking Sustainable Agriculture and Community Development: The Lowcountry Food Bank's Use of Locally Grown Foods

Abstract

Food banks throughout the South have historically helped meet the nutritional needs of low income families, but are not often involved in community development efforts aimed at creating sustainable agricultural situations. In this paper we seek to critically evaluate a food bank's efforts to enhance small- scale farm operations, increase the quality and quantity of their products, and enhance distribution and use of their product to the emergency food assistance system in Lowcountry South Carolina. The discussion is organized by reviewing the results of the project according to the three primary goals of sustainable agricultural programs.

Keywords:

• community development
• food banks
• small-scale farms
• sustainable agriculture