Samina Raja

Governments across the U.S. and Canada have made strides in their food systems planning efforts, with many recognizing within the past decade that the issue of food insecurity is just as important as maintaining other public infrastructure like roads and water systems. Still, questions remain: How are local governments engaging in the food system? Who are they engaging with, and who are they leaving out? How is government involvement advancing or impeding the creation of equitable and just food systems? How are their efforts being measured, and how should they change what they're doing?

While there have been some successes, local government engagement in food systems planning still varies widely. The 11 articles in this special issue (open access) illustrate new frontiers in, and challenges to, the governance of food systems by:

• Analyzing how local government policies and plans are being developed to strengthen food systems.

• Probing the progress and obstacles in implementing policies.

• Analyzing how local governments are monitoring and evaluating their policies.

S Raja et al. 2018. Reflexive and inclusive: Reimagining local government engagement in food systems. Special issue, Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development 8(B), https://www.foodsystemsjoumal.org/index.php/fsj/issue/view/32