In our supermarkets, we can find shelves full of ready-made products like pasta, semi-finished products like flour, and fresh produce such as various vegetables and fruits. But where do all these products come from? Who plants the raw materials, who harvests them, how and where are they further processed, and how do they reach the supermarket, which might be 200 km away from the field where they were grown? What are the cultural influences of the region that have shaped the food system?

As part of the research project “Speise-Karte 2.0 Food Mapping for the Nuremberg Metropolitan Region” at the Institute of Landscape Architecture in the Faculty of Architecture at RWTH Aachen University, students of Architecture and Geography conducted foundational research to analyze the Nuremberg food system. Working in groups, we explored the following key themes: production, regional actors, regional value chains, resources and flows, and heritage.

My focus lay on the chapter „Resources and Flows.“ The “Knoblauchsland” region near Nuremberg has long been known for its diverse agricultural production, with a wide variety of vegetables thriving here. The product diversity in this area has developed over time, showcasing the region’s rich agricultural tradition and craftsmanship. From traditional varieties to new cultivation techniques, the product diversity in this cultivation region reflects the versatility and evolution of agricultural practices.

Today, for example, southern varieties of tomatoes and peppers can be grown in greenhouses, whereas 200 years ago, the focus was still on potato and cabbage varieties. The increasing demand for regional and diverse foods has led to an expanded cultivation and distribution of specialty varieties and local delicacies.

The following reader provides a detailed analysis of the material flows of seven local products from the Knoblauchsland region. Since my studies were in German, the reader is currently only available in German.