Growing green: An investigation into local government planning for agriculture in North Carolina

Abstract

Community planning has long grappled with how to effectively integrate food and agriculture systems alongside community development (Pothukuchi & Kaufman, 2000). Despite this, localized food sys­tems are becoming increasingly recognized as a strategy for addressing social, sustainability, and resilience goals surrounding climate change, public health, and local economies (Brinkmeyer et al., 2023; Enthoven & Van den Broeck, 2021; Hunter et al., 2022). With the loss of farmland to urban expansion, there is a clear need to incorporate agri­culture into land-use planning. This study assesses how local government planners in North Carolina, a state with deep agricultural ties and experiencing significant urban growth, perceive food and agri­culture’s role in their communities. A convergent mixed-method questionnaire was distributed to local government planners across the state to explore how planners perceive and interact with both local food and agricultural systems. Findings show that planners interact with these systems a “moderate amount” and generally perceive agricul­ture as a net benefit for their communities by acknowledging the social, economic, and environ­mental functions of these systems. While partici­pants acknowledged the value of food and agricul­ture, participants reported needing resources and partnerships to better plan for food and agricul­tural systems in their communities. While focused on North Carolina, this study offers several take­aways for practicing planners more widely. Partici­pants shared strategies on how local governments can actively develop and implement policies that embed food and agriculture systems into develop­ments such as through subdivisions and other methods. By exploring different strategies, planners can bridge the gap between their understanding of the importance of food and agriculture and tangi­ble outcomes for their communities.