The European Commission Joint Research Centre scientific and policy report on short food supply chains and local food systems (2013) offers a potential definition: “a food system in which foods are produced, processed and retailed within a defined geographical area”. A study by the United States Department of Agriculture asserted that: “There is no global consensus on a definition in terms of the distance between production and consumption. Definitions related to geographic distance between production and sales vary by regions, companies, consumers, and local food markets” less than 400 miles (approx. 644 km).
Source: Local Sourcing FAO -2023
