The purpose of this report is two-fold: 1) To provide a better understanding of the breadth of community food system work occurring across Oregon, and 2) Identify opportunity areas where additional investment could catalyze, leverage and/or expand capacity of the community food system movement. Potential outcomes of stronger community food systems in regions across Oregon include:
1. Reduced hunger and increased food security;
2. Improved access to healthy food for people of all income-levels;
3. Improved health outcomes resulting from increased consumption of fresh, local meat/produce;
4. Increased markets for farmers, especially small-mid-size;
5. Stronger local economies (especially rural) resulting from new food sector businesses, new food sector jobs, and food purchase dollars remaining in and circulating through the local economy.
This report focuses more heavily on the economic and social implications of strengthening community food systems to better understand how strengthening community food systems can improve outcomes around food security, health and economic development. The environmental impacts of agriculture have not been analyzed as part of this report, although many of the organizations interviewed work in this area.