Due to the complexities around food, an approach that allows all stakeholders involved in food systems to become more cognisant of food system decisions is food mapping. Food mapping can be described in different ways. Food system mapping gathers information on local food systems in an area. This includes information on locations of food, food system infrastructure, where food system stakeholders are located, and much more. This is done in order to make decisions on areas of food systems such as nutrition and diets, climate change impacts, food quality, socio-economic dynamics relating to food and so on. To gather information on food systems, it further includes the use of spatial analysis, census information and other forms of data to create maps on a regional or city level. However, many novel approaches to mapping food flows are also used. Mapping food flows or food systems enable the actors within the food system to make improved decisions around food flows. This can include policy, agricultural decision-making, creating awareness, planning, nutrition and health, and education. A good example of how food system mapping benefits communities and cities can be found in the link below (be sure to watch the video in the article).
The need for food mapping
The number of people living in urban areas is increasing and a substantial amount of people live in informal dwellings with a lack of access to proper housing and essential services. Due to this, peri-urban sustainability needs to be maintained to support the growing demands of urban areas. Urban and peri-urban food systems include the life-cycle of food which can be broken down into production, distribution, retail, consumption and digestion. For rural-urban migrants, urban food systems play a crucial role in possible employment opportunities; it can therefore serve as a means of reducing food insecurity. Through a shorter food chain, food systems are more localised and food waste reduction and community building can be enhanced. Urban and peri-urban food systems face a number of challenges due to urban sprawl, infrastructural development which contributes to land use change and other economic drivers. Therefore; urban and peri-urban food systems need to be more efficiently and sustainably planned in order to promote their effectiveness at supporting livelihoods.
Literature on urban and peri-urban functions of food systems in developing countries has been increasing in recent years; however, a city’s food system is not one that is easily defined, and nor is it always comprehensive. In order to create healthy urban and peri-urban food systems to sustain and support people and the environment, key actors, inputs, activities and drivers of food systems need to be identified; thereafter, different approaches to mapping of urban and peri-urban food systems should be investigated. In so doing, having a wider understanding of how the urban and peri-urban food systems operate allows for identification of suitable approaches to food production in urban and peri-urban spaces of South Africa.
Research approaches for food systems and food flow mapping
There is no specific method for food mapping as it can take on a number of approaches to depict or visualise distinct features of a food system. Food mapping is used by actors within the food system, as detailed in section 3. In order to map features such as location of where food is sold, areas of agricultural activity, home gardens, food waste and food distribution can be mapped using various techniques. Most common methods of mapping utilise spatial and/or temporal analysis through the use of GIS software such as ArcGIS and Openstreetmap. They can be done using participatory methods or citizen science which are becoming more common and/or through quantitative methods to map food systems. The table below breaks down these approaches with a summary of the necessary data and methodology used to map food systems and flows. As important as the analysed approaches are, more novel approaches to food mapping could enhance the delivery of food systems development in urban and peri-urban areas, particularly for developing parts of the world such as the Eastern Cape. More novel approaches such as the use of mobile devices, social media and rapid survey techniques for food mapping can benefit the Eastern Cape region of South Africa; however, research on these approaches in the area of food mapping remains primarily understudied.
| Research approach | Necessary data | How is data collected | Cost factor | Authors |
| Spatial analysis of food system | Data relating to the current food system in Leeds. This included, but not limited to, information on the land, hydrology, infrastructure. Information on socioeconomic and technical indicators were also collected. Additionally, data on demographics, health and poverty indicators were also necessary. | Data was available through publicly accessible government data websites. Datasets were also identified through consultation with stakeholders and authors to validate information and its importance in terms of the study. | Minimal – datasets and the GIS (ArcMap) were freely available. | (Jensen and Orfila, 2021) |
| Use of system dynamics (SD) models and participatory approaches | Data on past agriculture and an earthquake which changed the food systems for the region from past reports and post-earthquake community audits. Information on spatial data was required for pointing out areas of agriculture on a map of Christchurch. | Information was collected from stakeholders through a small focus group and follow up feedback via electronic communication. | Minimal – although not mentioned, focus group participation may cost money (for printing, voice recorder, snacks, etc). The type of GIS software is not specified, hence, may or may not incur costs. Maps downloaded from Onestreetmap.org are free. Venism software for simulation of stock and flow diagrams are free to use. | (Rich et al., 2016) |
| Use of remote sensing | Information on different remote sensing approaches which includes cost and time factors, and value and strengths of the approach. | Data collected may include archived data, current data sources (satellite imaging), and future data sources. | Minimal to moderate – the use of most remote sensing software is freely available. | (Appeaning Addo, 2010) |
| Geographic analysis of spatial scales and local food flow distances | Locations of markets and supermarkets, land-use maps, and ortho-rectified aerial photos. | Through preliminary surveys and semi-structured interviews. Additionally, geographic datasets were collected from the Provincial Administrative Organisation. The data included land-use maps, maps of markets and supermarkets, and ortho-rectified aerial photos. Confirmation of markets and supermarkets was established through field observations. | (Tsuchiya et al., 2015) | |
| Spatial and temporal analysis | Data was recorded into PostgreSQL with a PostGIS during road and market surveys of food flows into and out of city region. | (Karg et al., 2016) |
These examples show that different approaches can be used for mapping of food systems; however, many challenges come with it. These include who would collect data, what are the cost factors and who are the main role players. These are important factors to consider when collecting data for mapping. The data is especially important when it will be used as a complimentary method of data collection for indicator data.
References:
APPEANING ADDO, K. 2010. Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture in Developing Countries Studied using Remote Sensing and In Situ Methods. Remote Sensing, 2, 497-513.
JENSEN, P. D. & ORFILA, C. 2021. Mapping the production-consumption gap of an urban food system: an empirical case study of food security and resilience. Food Secur, 13, 551-570.
KARG, H., DRECHSEL, P., AKOTO-DANSO, E., GLASER, R., NYARKO, G. & BUERKERT, A. 2016. Foodsheds and City Region Food Systems in Two West African Cities. Sustainability, 8.
RICH, K. M., RICH, M., DIZYEE, K. & M.PHIL 2016. Participatory systems approaches for urban and peri urban agriculture planning: The role of system dynamics and spatial group model building. Agricultural Systems, 160, 110-123.
SMIT, W. 2016. Urban governance and urban food systems in Africa: Examining the linkages. Cities, 58, 80-86.
SWEENEY, G., HAND, M., KAISER, M., CLARK, J. K., ROGERS, C. & SPEES, C. 2015. The State of Food Mapping: Academic Literature Since 2008 and Review of Online GIS-based Food Mapping Resources. Journal of Planning Literature, 31, 123-219.
TSUCHIYA, K., HARA, Y. & THAITAKOO, D. 2015. Linking food and land systems for sustainable peri-urban agriculture in Bangkok Metropolitan Region. Landscape and Urban Planning, 143, 192-204.
WIGHT, R. A. & KILLHAM, J. 2014. Food mapping: a psychogeographical method for raising food consciousness. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 38, 314-321.