Food isn't just what we eat, it connects us to our family, our community and the world around us.

We live in a challenging time in history, facing unprecedented global crises, and yet, local food initiatives by small farmers, community workers, and activists offer solutions to these large complex problems. Solutions at the local level can give us personal and community agency, connecting us with one another and inspiring new ways of thinking, sharing and creating value.

The problems with global corporate capitalist exploitation are becoming more and more evident. Local food and strong community networks can provide alternatives to this destructive system, as well as many wider benefits for society and the environment.

This book shows alternative food networks, food sovereignty, and social economics, through case-studies of real people and communities in both urban and rural New Zealand, as well as a global lens.

These inspiring stories and insights provide a compass that can help us to navigate towards a more sustainable and equitable future.