The local food movement or AFNs is classifiable into two categories, corporate
retail structure, and local, direct food distribution networks. Corporate retail structures,
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such as grocery chains, purchase local products in a focus on positive environmental
impacts, but are weak when compared to local, direct purchasing. Middle man local
purchases, as seen through corporate retail structures, neglect to fully consider the rising
costs of labor and supplies for small-scale farmers, animal welfare factors, and
aggrandizement of rural community development. In contrast, local, direct food
distribution networks are strong networks as they address the environmental impacts of
food production as well as the aforementioned social, animal, and economic concerns.