Paper short abstract:

In the last years the valorisation of local food products has been focus of many initiatives. This presentation will focus on positive effects of this approach from the landscape perspective.

Paper long abstract:

Local food has been focus of many initiatives as an alternative to the conventional food system, focusing on rural development as well as to meet the growing demand on the consumer side for more authentic and natural lifestyles. Hence local food has been a focus for economists and for social and cultural science. Besides local food products may have many positive effects on the landscape scale and on landscape planning processes. Again these effects offer potentials to strengthen the relationship between producers and consumers. This presentation will exemplary point out some of these like 1) the protection of natural resources and nature conservation, 2) the maintenance of cultural landscapes as heritage, for identity and recreation and 3) the development of networks and partnerships for integrated planning processes, capacity building and governance.

Furthermore it will be pointed out how these topics can be part of a curriculum for environmental planning.