New Study on Impact of Local Food Purchases on Local Economies
Posted: April 30, 2014
Categories: Food in the News / GoodFoodBites / Research
Credit: Mark Blinch / The Canadian Press, via The Toronto Star
Have you ever wondered about the degree of economic impact local food purchases can have on communities? A group of US researchers set out to discover the effect of direct farm-to-consumer sales on regional economies. Their findings are documented in a report, Linkages Between Community-Focused Agriculture, Farm Sales, and Regional Growth, in Economic Development Quarterly (2014) based on data from 2002 to 2007 .
Food Tank provides a quick synopsis of the paper, which established the positive influence direct sales can have on total agricultural sales, which can encourage income growth in specific regions with supply chain supports in place. Such positive data may serve to inform regional policymakers to develop strategies for fostering local, community-focused agriculture. The findings do reflect some regional variations that invite questions for future research, such as the impact of agritourism on total farm sales and effects on personal income.
Thank you to Sustain Ontario Member Locavore News for sharing the news of this study.