Local Food Purchasing: Analysis of Survey Results

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Local Food Purchasing Analysis of Survey Results
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

• Dr. Eric Jamelske
• University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
• Department of Economics
• Chippewa Valley Center for Economic Research and
  Development
• Cultivating Sustainable Agriculture Conference
• November 1, 2008

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Overview

• Introduction Motivation
• Project Big Picture
• Farm-To-College Survey
• Farm-To-School Survey
• Household Survey
• Questions and Discussion

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Introduction

• Where does your food come from?
• What are the costs benefits of our current food
  system?

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Introduction

• Environmental Costs (carbon, pesticides, land
  use)
• Health Costs (obesity and pesticides)
• Taste, Freshness Nutritional Value
• Community Relationships
• Local Economy

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Wisconsin Local Food Movement

• Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin
• Wisconsin Eat Local Challenge
• Farmers Markets

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Project Description

• Partnership between the UWEC CVCERD and
  UW-Extension.
• Characterize the local foods landscape in
  (Western) Wisconsin.
• Conduct surveys of colleges, school districts and
  households.

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Farm-To-College Programs

• College food service departments have an
  important influence over students' eating habits
  and health.
• Farm to college programs offer opportunities for
  improving students' eating habits.

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Farm-To-College Survey

• 33 Colleges/Universities
• Does your college food service purposefully look
  to purchase some amount of locally raised food
  products to serve in dining facilities?
• 28 completed surveys
• 8 yes
• 20 no

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8.2 among schools with local purchasing
Main source of local purchases is major
distributors
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On a one to four scale, one being not at all and
four being a lot, colleges were asked Please
indicate the degree to which the following have
limited your ability to incorporate locally
raised food into your menu.
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On a one to four scale, one being not beneficial
and four being very beneficial, colleges were
asked Please indicate to what degree you see
the following as benefits of farm-to-college
programs.
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College Conclusions

• Very little local food is currently purchased and
  served in Wisconsin colleges (1.4 )
• 4-year public institutions are the largest
  (students, meals served)
• Possible improvement for all types of schools
• Possible models of success for all types of
  schools
• 11.9, 10.5, 9.0

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College Conclusions

• Agreement on benefits of supporting local farmers
  and helping the local economy and also good for
  community relations.
• Differences in barriers to overcome, but there
  are significant barriers (tier theory).
• Most of the local food purchases are done through
  standard big name food distributors, while very
  little comes from local farms, co-ops and
  farmers markets.

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College Conclusions

• Two paths for increasing local food use.
• Expand markets connecting institutions to local
  food sources.
• Increase the degree to which major food
  distributors are able to provide local options
  for these institutions.
• Success will require increased awareness and the
  formation of partnerships that currently do not
  exist.

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Farm-To-School Programs

• Enhance school meals.
• Introduce children to where their food comes from.

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Farm-To-School Survey

• 20 School Districts
• Does your school district food service
  purposefully look to purchase some amount of
  locally raised food products to serve in school
  cafeterias?
• 20 completed surveys
• 1 yes
• 19 no

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Local Food Purchasing

• Only 0.06 of the total food budget among sampled
  school districts goes to purchase local foods
  (one school).
• The percentage of this schools total food budget
  allocated to local purchases was just 4.3.
• Most was purchased directly from farmers and
  major distributors.
• Pork products and fresh produce including
  tomatoes, cucumbers, and melons.
•  
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On a one to four scale, one being not at all and
four being a lot, school districts were asked
Please indicate the degree to which the
following have limited your ability to
incorporate locally raised food into your menu.
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On a one to four scale, one being not beneficial
and four being very beneficial, school districts
were asked Please indicate to what degree you
see the following as benefits of farm-to-school
programs.
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School District Conclusions

• There is significant room for improvement for all
  school districts.
• However, increasing local purchasing in these
  school districts will be a challenge given that
  there are no current successful efforts to model
  a farm to school program after.
• Therefore, success will require increased
  awareness and the formation of partnerships that
  currently do not exist. Parent and student
  education.
•  

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Household Survey

• Sample recruitment phone, mail, public venues,
  news media.
• 220 respondents
• Food budgets, local food purchasing, benefits and
  limitations

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• For the purposes of our survey, we defined local
  as within 150 miles

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Differences Between Seeking Local Food
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Household Survey Conclusions

• Farm Fresh Atlas
• Local Food Challenge
• Grocery stores and Farmers
• Marketing Fresh N Local!

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Thank You!! ?

Questions?