A version of this article originally appeared in the Duluth News Tribune on November 23, 2024. You can view the column here.
For Thanksgiving this year, let’s take a moment to reflect on the complex supply chains behind the foods we eat, and consider ways we might improve them.
The Northland food ecosystem is diverse and resilient. Local production starts with a mix of farming businesses,
independent growers, and many other contributors. Stores and restaurants, transportation networks, schools, and food shelves all play a role. Walk into a grocery store or co-op and you might be able to find locally grown and indigenous options for many vegetables, wild rice, meat, fish, and more staples right alongside a variety of foods that traveled thousands of miles to reach us.
Local food can cost more when it’s produced on a smaller scale compared to large industrial options coming from states away. But it can come with the added benefits of recirculating dollars in the local community, a lower carbon footprint and ecological impact, and greater transparency in production and processing practices, such as avoiding the use of harmful pesticides.
Greater mindfulness can have a real impact on the economy and the environment. That was why, in 2023, our region undertook a project to look more holistically at our food ecosystem.
A community survey across the seven counties of Minnesota’s Arrowhead region received responses from key stakeholders that included producers, distributors, wholesale buyers, direct consumers, and other food-system support organizations. In a series of workshops that followed the survey, participants mapped out a Northeastern Minnesota food network value chain and created a strategic plan to help guide the Northeast Minnesota Regional Food Business Center. The center aims to strengthen regional food networks by providing access to funding, support, and technical assistance to address current gaps and unmet needs.
As the community survey revealed, our food networks can be fragmented, with not all partners sharing information with each other. Funding streams and local regulations can also be inequitable, favoring some projects while excluding others. For example, some grants tend to reward new initiatives instead of sustaining proven programs. Blockages like these inhibit basic opportunities for cooperation on the local and regional scale.
The Regional Food Business Center takes an adaptive approach to food-system development by engaging existing networks, enhancing communication, and expanding partnerships. In the first year of its work, the program provided support for $3.9 million in successful grant applications. These and further projects will help build food infrastructure across sectors, create supportive financial systems, and find other food system “hacks” to improve innovation and efficiency.
Meaningful change begins and ends with the actions we all take as individuals. Together we can increase the availability of healthy local foods as we support a more resilient and interconnected food network in our region.
Shaun Hainey is a consultant for Northspan, which powers the Driving Access to Wealth & Networks program.