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FOOD SYSTEM COMPONENTS <br />A food system encompasses the cycle of producing, distributing, <br />eating and recycling food, and it is made up of all the processes <br />used to feed people: growing, harvesting, processing, packaging, <br />distributing, marketing, consuming, disposing and recycling. <br />The core components of the system are described below. In this <br />assessment the focus will be on system activities at the county <br />and, where appropriate, regional level. The scope of the study will <br />cover the core components of the food system in relation to the <br />assessment goals outlined above. <br />Production <br />The cultivation of edible plants and domestication of animals, <br />including rural and urban farms as well as community or school <br />gardens, rooftop gardens, urban and rural greenhouses, edible <br />landscaping, backyard gardening and others. <br />Processing <br />All the processes that add value to and /or transform raw <br />commodities into food products, including baking, cooking, <br />freezing, canning, and packaging. Examples of business enterprises <br />include bakeries, commercial kitchens, and meat packers. <br />Distribution and Marketing <br />All activities related to getting raw and processed foods to <br />consumers, including transporting, storing, and retailing. This <br />includes four major market channels: <br />1. Direct (farmers' markets, food - buying clubs, <br />Community Supported Agriculture) <br />2. Retail (grocery stores) <br />3. Food service (restaurants and institutions) <br />4. Emergency (food banks) <br />Consumption <br />All the activities and processes that individuals, society and culture <br />engage in to acquire (e.g. purchase, strategize, manage, ingest, <br />digest) and use (e.g. cook, ritualize, present) food that has been <br />produced and distributed. This includes home kitchens. <br />Waste Management <br />The series of activities where discarded food materials are <br />collected, sorted, processed and converted into other materials and <br />used in the production of new products. This includes backyard <br />composting, large -scale composting, edible food waste recovery, <br />recycling, and land filling. <br />Attachment nu ber 1 <br />Cabarrus County Food System Assessment V <br />in <br />Page 623 <br />