The Industrial Food Stream and its Alternatives in the United States: An Introduction

The United States has experienced the development of two food streams. One is based on an industrial model and is dominated by a handful of large, integrated transnational corporations. The other relies on direct marketing that links food producers with consumers. Although the latter food stream is small by the standards of industrial agribusiness, it is growing rapidly. The articles in this collection address various aspects of industrial food production and its alternatives. They provide much-needed information on how the two food streams actually work and what they mean for communities.