Beyond Factory Farming

The major retail chain stores’ business strategy is to sell huge quantities of food at low prices, making a profit despite low margins thanks to the high volumes sold. They undercut smaller competitors by offering lower prices and invest heavily in advertising to get people into the store. It is very difficult for local farmers to get big retailers to buy their products because the stores require a steady year-round supply of consistent products.

The local food movement is developing many different methods of connecting producers and consumers through the alternative distribution systems described in this section.