There is no professional or academic consensus on the term ―local food.‖ For some, the term has
geographic connotations, simply signifying food that has been produced within so many miles of
where it is sold. For others, the term is based on political boundaries, such as state lines (Adams &
Salois, 2010). Use of the term often reflects a combination of these two criteria, as in the 2008 Farm
Act. Accordingly, the U.S. Congress considers food transported less than 400 miles, or that is sold
within the state where it is grown, to be a ―locally or regionally produced agricultural food product‖
(Martinez et al., 2010). Still, for others, the term carries ethical meaning or a sense of community,
with emphasis on how the food is produced, distributed, and consumed.