%0 PDF %T Are We Planning for Sustainable Food Systems? An Evaluation of the Goals and Vision of Food System Assessments and their Usefulness to Planning. %A Pierce-Quinonez, Marisol. %8 2017-04-18 %R http://localhost/files/k643bc42b %X Abstract: A sustainable food system is a complicated and nuanced idea. Communities across the US are using food system assessments (FSAs) to come up with their own vision of a sustainable food future. FSAs gather together information about the entire food system; from production, through processing and distribution, then on to the consumption of food and ending in the disposal. They also address the economic resilience, social responsibility and environmental impact of each of these links in the chain. At their best, FSAs use all of this information to plan for the future of the local/regional food system. However, the picture of the food system that each FSA presents and the issues it highlights varies from one region to the next. Even if FSAs present a remarkable vision for the future, many do not recommend concrete measures that can be taken to reach their goals. FSAs conducted in the future should adopt more of the elements of traditional planning practices to ensure that the goals they espouse are actionable and will help eventually lead to carrying out their vision of a sustainable food system.; Thesis (M.A.)--Tufts University, 2012.; Submitted to the Dept. of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning.; Advisor: Justin Hollander.; Committee: Hugh Joseph.; Keywords: Sustainability, Agriculture, and Urban planning. %[ 2022-10-13 %9 Text %~ Tufts Digital Library %W Institution