Weak links leave Appalachian food systems vulnerable to the next shock
A 13-state state study led by Virginia Tech found communities have many of the pieces needed to respond to food disruptions, but those efforts often aren’t connected for long-term resilience.
Virginia farmers have faced a relentless mix of weather in the past two growing seasons. Drought conditions and freezes erased a year’s harvest overnight. Erratic weather is destabilizing Virginia’s agricultural system, making proactive planning essential.
A 2020 Climate Vulnerability Assessment conducted by the Town of Blacksburg identified food system disruption as a major community risk.
“We learned there are many opportunities for our food system to be interrupted by unpredictable weather. It is a huge vulnerability,” said the town's sustainability manager, Carol Davis.
Rural Appalachian communities already experience higher rates of food insecurity, yet the region's strong agricultural assets make it a unique food-system.
Recently published findings from interviews of 113 public officials representing 167 counties across all 13 Appalachian states found that food-system efforts are widespread but often operate separately, with limited coordination across jurisdictions or sustained long enough to build resilience.
The study was led by Lia Kelinsky-Jones, research assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education and assistant director for research in the Center for Food Systems and Community Transformation, with Virginia Tech doctoral candidate Jessica Spence.
The disconnect was especially apparent in preparing for climate-related disruptions. Communities had established ways to respond to immediate emergencies, while long-term planning for changing climate risks was much less common.
Constrained rural communities especially struggle to transition from emergency response to long-term planning. Without coordinated, forward-looking strategies, even successful emergency interventions fail to reduce future vulnerability.
“Local governments and regional commissions play important roles coordinating programs and building partnerships,” Kelinsky-Jones said. “Comprehensive, system-wide resilience planning needs policy leadership.”
As part of her USDA NIFA supported work, Kelinsky-Jones examines how policy and regional governance can strengthen food systems' resilience across Appalachia. Earlier this year, she co-authored governance strategies communities can use to build more resilient local food systems.
Additional findings in review may point to a critical role for Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE). Kelinsky-Jones and VCE Associate Specialist Christina Galardi recently received a $150,000 Rita Allen Foundation grant to investigate how Extension partners with local governments to support food systems resilience. Regional organizations, such as the Appalachian Regional Commission, may also need to play a larger role.
"By supporting collaboration and funding long-term planning, regional entities in Appalachia could shift from fragmented responses to integrated food system strategies", Kelinsky-Jones said.
A framework of evidence-based policies provides actionable insights for policymakers today and informs future investment priorities. Kelinsky-Jones hopes to submit a collaborative grant proposal to examine local food production, processing, distribution, and access networks. Efforts to rebuild regional grain value chains in Virginia illustrate how processing and distribution networks can strengthen food systems' resilience.
As climate risks intensify, incremental approaches are not enough. Proactive strategies like land-use policies and regional planning frameworks could help establish best practices that are scalable across communities.
“We need to think beyond marginal impacts like recycling and swapping in LED bulbs,” Davis said. “Large-scale policy work is needed as climate change impact becomes more urgent.”
