| dc.description.abstract | The way we relate to our food has changed. From knowing and practicing food production, it is now brought to us from distant places with little information about its origins. The modern industrial food system alienates people from the origins of the food they eat, and local food systems attempt to reconnect them. This study explores the alienation from, and reconnection to, three important elements in terms of food production, namely place, community, and identity (culture). Inderøy in Norway has an abundance of food producers and food production activities and is the case of this study. Semi-structured interviews with municipal actors, producers, and local inhabitants were conducted to explore connections to place, community, and identity (culture), and it was found that these were meaningful categories of connection that brought a sense of wellbeing into people’s lives. Proximity to the origins of food was meaningful in several ways. Emotional attachment to place was fostered through consuming local foods, but also through self-provisioning activities in the landscape. Social connections were strengthened through producer-consumer relationships expressing trust, and the proximity between them facilitated education and sharing of knowledge. Consumers displayed a care for farmers, and the various actors showed a willingness to co-operate in maintaining the local food culture. In terms of identity and culture, Inderøy has maintained some important traditions, while at the same time being open to include new and modern products into their local food culture. As such, their local food culture was glocal, but managed to gather local actors around it, by being distinctively from Inderøy. Finally, the study found that there were limits to various actors’ engagement in the local food culture, as individualised lives foster individualised concerns. Nevertheless, the connections to place, community, and identity were important components in people’s perceptions of what a good life is. | eng |