Introduction to the EFSNE Project Collection of Papers

The Enhancing Food Security in the Northeast (EFSNE) project started in 2011 to explore the potential for regional food systems to improve food security in the Northeastern U.S. Building on the nationwide interest in local food systems, EFSNE researchers have been motivated by a desire to understand whether regional food systems, which have a larger geographic scope, might have some of the perceived sustainability benefits attributed to local food while providing food accessible to all consumers. To this end, an interdisciplinary team drawn from academic institutions, federal government research organizations, and nonprofits has spent seven years trying to understand food consumption, distribution, processing, and production in the Northeast. Through studying the actual supply chains in nine locations around the Northeast region and doing extensive modeling and analysis of secondary data on food systems, we have attempted to understand the extent to which the region can rely on its own food production and can meet the needs of low-income a * Corresponding author: Christian J. Peters, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University; 150 Harrison Avenue; Boston MA 02111 USA; Christian.Peters@tufts.edu b Food systems consultant; University Park, MD 20782 USA; klclancy@comcast.net c Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics, Sociology & Education, The Pennsylvania State University; 111D Armsby Building; University Park, PA 16802 USA;