Legal instruments to support local food systems: Conclusions de lege ferenda

Local food systems (LFS) is not a legal term, although it is used in EU documents, and legal instruments supporting their development can be indicated in EU, and national legal orders. Based on the analysis and comparison of these instruments, extracted from Italian, French, Polish, American, and EU legislation, this study aims to formulate proposals for possible and beneficial solutions to be introduced into national and EU legislation, aimed at supporting LFS. The proposal includes the introduction at the EU level, along with the local food labelling system, of the LFS definition supporting small farmers who run agricultural production with the use of environmentally friendly, sustainable methods. In the field of food law, it is necessary to articulate the LFS requirements more clearly so that they are better understood by farmers. In national legislation, the instruments to be implemented involve the possibility for the farmer to carry out the activity of processing and selling his products directly to consumers and local retailers as part of his privileged agricultural status, at the same time obliging municipalities to create farmers’ markets, and supporting agriculture in the urban and peri-urban areas. Other necessary instruments include the requirement to offer local products in gastronomy by public institutions, hotels, restaurants and agritourism, and implementation of appropriate solutions in the public procurement law encouraging local food supplies.