Who's near the local food? A regional proximity analysis of short food supply chain types in southern New England

Abstract

This paper examines three types of locally oriented Short Food Supply Chains in southern New England and their spatial alignment with a variety of demographic factors. We find that pay-as-you-go operations are particularly likely in predominantly White areas, and to some extent in higher income areas, but box share arrangements (i.e., community-supported agricultures) show stronger associations with educational attainment. Building on these empirical findings, we argue that local food availability is a systematically uneven phenomenon. Through the role of proximity we demonstrate how the dynamics of that availability vary with both outlet type and social characteristics.