The Food System

There are six key elements in the food system: policy, production, processing, distribution, consumption, and disposal.

Policy

Policy includes all of the laws and regulations surrounding the other elements. There are three main goals of food policy: to protect the anyone from being taken advantage of, to develop efficient food systems, and to increase food production to increase profit. An example of food policy is the expiration date on meat. Tennessee law requires that meat have a form of regulation to tell potential buyers if it is good or spoiled.

Production

Production is the growing and cultivation of food. In terms of fruits and vegetables, this is the part in the food system where the produce is planted. Production ends when the produce or meat is harvested.

Processing

Processing includes every step between when the food is harvested and sent out for distribution. Raw ingredients are made into prepared products that will be sold in stores. This also includes figuring out the nutrient content of the food, listing how many vitamins a product has or what the ingredients are.

Distribution

Distribution is when the food is sent out to the various locations where it will be consumed. This step includes places like grocery stores and other markets. This is a broad step because it also contains sending food to restaurants where it will then be sent to tables or people’s homes. Refrigerated delivery trucks with fresh meat are part of this process, but so are places like Taco Bell or apps like GrubHub or Uber Eats. Distribution includes any way that you receive the food you are going to eat.

Consumption

Consumption is when the food is actually eaten. This is the step that most people think of when they think of the food system. At this point, you have received the food during distribution and are ready to prepare the meal and eat it. Any food that is not consumed, skip this step and go straight to disposal.

Disposal

Disposal is the way that food is treated after it can no longer be consumed. Food that is spoiled and can no longer be eaten- commonly referred to as food waste- falls into this category. Sometimes the food is not spoiled, but cannot be sold due to laws created in the Policy stage, this food waste commonly gets thrown out as well. Beyond food, however, disposal includes composting and human waste.

2022 Spring Program

We have fellowship programs in the summer, fall, and spring. This spring the fellowship will last from January 24 and May 27. All high school and college students are encouraged to apply!

We look forward to working with you!

Fellows

Fellows are expected to work approximately 100 hours between January 24 and May 27. You will be reporting directly to the organizations. In the application you will be able to write what you are looking for in an organization, as well as why you want to participate. We want you to be able to experience the food system get the most out of this fellowship!

This is not a paid fellowship! At this time, we are unable to provide a stipend for fellows.

You can apply here!

Organizations

Organizations receive passionate and interested individuals who are motivated to work in the food system. They are able to launch additional projects with the help, while also serving as a mentor. Some previous agencies that have partnered with us include the Edith Field Garden in South Memphis and Memphis Rox. Fellows were able to participate in the creation of community gardens and garnering community involvement.

All the organizations need to do is be part of the Memphis Food System and able to provide enough work for the fellows. We encourage agencies that participate in the annual Food Systems Summit, but also welcome agencies who are new to the food system conversation to apply for fellows. We want to ensure that each participant gains experience and has the opportunity to learn valuable skills!

You can apply here!