One of the biggest and most impactful shifts that supporting local food systems can provide is moving away from consumer cultures that embed themselves in narratives of competition and individual notions of rights towards responsibility. It is almost impossible to govern food chains as “public commons” when notions of ownership and entitlement govern how people choose to spend their money and their time.
By seeing local food system creation as a form of responsibility – we remove both the social and financial burden from individuals – often farmers within our communities – to a collective one. It is only through stepping into our collective responsibility to food, the land, and the earth that we can see sustainable, ecolonical, and ultimately ethical relationalities to each other and food. This is a huge reason why Eat Local Grey Bruce uses a cooperative model to sustain ourselves – and ensure we all share the bounty and responsibilities of local food systems.