Source: Susan Kelly, MEATINGPLACE, 8/9/17


The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis has released research examining how the growing popularity of locally sourced food can be harnessed to boost economic opportunities for both rural and urban communities.

Regional food systems are a promising avenue for economic growth through creation and enhancement of jobs and businesses, Federal Reserve Board Governor Lael Brainard and St. Louis Fed President James Bullard said in a foreword to the research. Those opportunities can advance the financial security of low- and moderate-income households and communities, they said.

The Fed’s research, along with essays and reports from various contributors, are compiled in a book called Harvesting Opportunity: The Power of Regional Food System Investments to Transform Communities.

Locally sourced meat
The book notes that locally sourced meat and seafood topped the list of key restaurant trends for 2016 reported by the National Restaurant Association. It looks at the challenges facing the meat processing industry when attempting to serve the needs of smaller-scale local farmers and ranchers.

Other topics covered include:
-- prospects available in the regional food systems sector,
-- how to advance efforts to provide earnings and job opportunities for low- and moderate-income households and communities,
-- partnerships that are key for deploying knowledge and capital to support the sector’s continued growth,
-- examples of communities that have used regional food strategies to advance economic and other goals, and
-- models of collaboration between policymakers, practitioners and the financial community.

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