By Kelly Nottermann, Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund
The New England State Food System Planners Partnership and Vermont Farm to Plate announce the release of Vermont specific data from the New England Feeding New England report. What can each New England state do to increase food security and access and build resilience for the whole region? What strengths does Vermont’s food system possess and what opportunities can be pursued? What weaknesses persist and what threats loom? This State Brief contextualizes important characteristics of Vermont’s food system for consideration.
Can the six New England states provide 30% of their food from regional farms and fisheries by 2030?
New England Feeding New England explores this question and what it will really take to grow, raise, produce, harvest, and catch more regional food and move it through a complex supply chain to our homes and other places where we eat. The research presents an opportunity for the region: significant changes in diet (e.g., dramatically reducing consumption of ultra-processed foods and increasing fruit and vegetable consumption), a significant increase in land in agriculture, stopping the decrease in farmers and fishermen, and finding a way to actually get local/regional food in the places people shop are daunting challenges, but addressing them will leave our food system stronger and more resilient.
Next Steps: What Can Vermont do to Meet the 30% by 2030 Goal?
To meet the region’s 30x2030 goal Vermont needs to aggressively implement priority strategies from the Vermont Agriculture and Food System Strategic Plan 2021-2030 related to market development, climate resilience, food security, and racial equity. Vermont will need to closely coordinate with partnering New England states on policy innovation, consumer engagement, and financing and funding.
Areas of priority include:
- Production, processing, and distribution infrastructure and supply chain investment
- Cultivating viable wholesale grocer market opportunities within the state and New England
- Supporting and accelerating land access and land affordability with a particular focus on equitable access for beginning, socially disadvantaged, and BIPOC farmers
- Creating synergies between climate policy and resilience and food system development
- Leveraging cross-sector coalitions to stimulating systemic solutions to food access and security.
Read the Vermont report at https://nefoodsystemplanners.org/wp-content/uploads/NEFNE-VERMONT-State-Brief.pdf
Access all of the New England Feeding New England report components at https://nefoodsystemplanners.org/projects/report-components/
