Early Lessons From The Food Commons: A New Economic Whole System Approach for Regional Food

The Food Commons is an agro-ecological approach to local and regional food in which the health of employees, the community, and the commons are considered holistically. Food Commons Fresno is operationalizing the model with wholesale, food box, hub, commissary, and farming businesses managed through a linked for-benefit corporation and a community trust. Aside from typical start-up challenges, the key hurdles include the cultural and economic unfamiliarity with ecological models and relational operating systems.