The food that is trucked across the country to local supermarkets is part of a system that is choking off local food supply chains. It dominates grocers’ shelves, making it difficult for consumers to buy fresh, healthy, sustainably produced local food.
Our current food system is dictated by a handful of global conglomerates that control production and drive industrial scale farmers to produce enormous quantities to meet the low-cost demands of national and international markets. Its unchecked growth and practices threaten our environment, health, and local economies.
To rebuild regional food systems, a critical—but often overlooked—part of our infrastructure, Surdna is supporting leaders who are developing solutions to shorten the distance from farm to table and improving relationships between and among producers, aggregators, processors, and consumers. Included in our funding is support for “food hubs,” a key form of regional food enterprise that performs services including picking up produce directly from local and regional farmers, and sorting, packing, loading and delivering to schools, hospitals, food service companies, and restaurants.
Surdna is focusing on solutions that will bring customers reasonably priced, seasonal food that is responsibly grown by local farmers. The process is contributing to the growth of a regional food aggregation and distribution infrastructure that strengthens urban and rural connections; provides environmental, economic, and health benefits; and allows consumers to feel more connected to the source of their food.
