Regional Food Hubs Assessing Community Impacts Nicole Tichenor, M.S. Friedman Fellows’ Symposium...
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Transcript of Regional Food Hubs Assessing Community Impacts Nicole Tichenor, M.S. Friedman Fellows’ Symposium...
Regional Food HubsAssessing Community Impacts
Nicole Tichenor, M.S.Friedman Fellows’ Symposium
November 17, 2012
Graphic source: Barham et al. 2012
What is a Regional Food Hub?
• “A business or organization that actively manages the aggregation, distribution, and marketing of source-identified food products primarily from local and regional producers to strengthen their ability to satisfy wholesale, retail, and institutional demand”
-- National Food Hub Collaboration
• ≈ 170 across the country
Why Regional Food Hubs?
• Increasing demand for local foods– Local food sales: $4.8 billion (2008) to $7 billion
(2011) (USDA ERS 2011)
– 34% of School Food Authorities purchase local and 22% are considering doing so (School Nutrition Association 2009)
Impact Assessment
• USDA Agriculture Marketing Service• Food hub impact assessment tool– Economic, environmental, social impacts– Supply chain approach– Track internal progress and compare against other
hubs– Self-administered
Process
• Compile “indicator inventory”• Design 4-part assessment tool– Suppliers, hubs, consumer buyers, wholesale
buyers• Pilot• Refine tool and release
Example Questions
• Farmers:– “ Have you diversified the products you grow as a
result of working with the hub?” (y/n)• Hubs:– “Does the hub donate food locally?” (y/n)
• “If YES, how many pounds last fiscal year?”
• Consumers:– “Has your household increased the amount you
spend on locally-produced food per month by buying through the food hub?” (y/n and follow up question)
Future Research Agenda
• Research to date has been limited • More quantitative data and evaluation are
needed • Healthy food access: what we know – Sell to variety of markets – 47% report distributing in food deserts (Barham et al.
2012)
– Innovative programming
Future Research Agenda
• Reach and quality of food hub healthy food access programs
• Impacts of programs on consumption • Price comparisons (farm-gate and retail)
across supply chain arrangements