The Case for Local and Sustainable Seafood: A Georgia Example

Growing demand for local, sustainable food is supporting an explosion of direct marketing throughout the United States (U.S.). Despite recent scholarship on ethics and sustainability issues in seafood, these are less commonly addressed among the consumers participating in the local food movement. This paper examines the interplay between demand for local and ethically sourced foods and the implications for seafood sustainability in the U.S. south, asking: what are Georgia consumer perceptions of local and sustainable foods, to what extent do they consider seafood in the local food movement, and how can Georgia fisheries fit within these understandings and preferences? We refashion a values-based supply chain model to encapsulate consumers’ preferences, and propose a three-tiered, process based model of involvement for seafood consumers. In sum, we argue that sustainable seafood deserves a more prominent place in the local food movement.