Though “local” has a geographic connotation, there is no consensus on a
defi nition in terms of the distance between production and consumption.
Defi nitions related to geographic distance between production and sales vary
by regions, companies, consumers, and local food markets. According to the
defi nition adopted by the U.S. Congress in the 2008 Food, Conservation, and
Energy Act (2008 Farm Act), the total distance that a product can be transported and still be considered a “locally or regionally produced agricultural
food product” is less than 400 miles from its origin, or within the State in
which it is produced. Defi nitions based on market arrangements, including
direct-to-consumer arrangements such as regional farmers’ markets, or
direct-to-retail/foodservice arrangements such as farm sales to schools, are
well-recognized categories and are used in this report to provide statistics on
the market development of local foods.