As consumers across the United States express a growing interest in a closer connection to their food producers—whether through access to more localized markets and/or shorter supply chains—cities and regions have begun to regard the expansion of local food marketing activities as a critical component of their economic development strategies. The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) has published a new resource to help communities make the economic case for investments in local food.
“The Economics of Local Food Systems: A Toolkit to Guide Community Discussions, Assessments and Choices” will help local food stakeholders tell the story of how investing in strong local and regional food systems—including farmers markets, food hubs, and other local food outlets—can revitalize rural and urban economies across the country. The toolkit—developed by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS)—allows communities to conduct reliable economic impact assessments of investing in local food system initiatives. It includes seven modules and guidance to evaluate investments in local and regional food systems.
The toolkit uses real-world projects, experiences, and applied research, making it a practical and useable resource for community leaders, businesses, and others. For example, in Kane County, Ill., regional planners wanted to evaluate the economic and farmland preservation potential of investing in local food. One of the toolkit modules shows how the planners were able to determine that adding 1,000 acres into local fruit and vegetable production would result in a $5.3 million increase in total industrial output, a $2.43 million increase in value-added production, and a $1.8 million increase in labor income based on the creation of 35 new jobs. With this information, Kane County had the data it needed to make the case for a local food project.
