Abstract
In this study we explore the pocket market model, an emergent alternative retail marketing arrangement for connecting urban consumers with local food producers. In this model, community-based organizations act as local food brokers, purchasing fresh, healthful food from area farmers and food producers, and selling it to urban consumers in small-scale, portable, local food markets. The benefits of pocket markets are numerous. They include the provision of additional and more localized marketing outlets for local food producers; increased opportunities to educate consumers about local food and sustainable food systems; the convenience for consumers of having additional venues where local food is available for purchase; and an ability to increase access to fresh produce in areas with poor or limited retail food options. Despite these advantages, pocket market organizers face many challenges in implementing this model successfully. These include a lack of public familiarity with the pocket market concept, an inability to address issues of food access in a way that is financially sustainable, and issues related to logistics, site selection, and regulatory requirements. In this paper, we will explore the pocket market model using those operating in metropolitan Vancouver (British Columbia, Canada) as an example, and assess the degree to which it addresses some of the current gaps in bringing local food to urban communities.
Highlights
Local food has made a slow but convincing return to North American cities over the past two decades
Within our case study of metropolitan Vancouver, we look at how community-based organizations have developed the “pocket market” as an innovative means to market local food to urban consumers
We discovered that four groups were played prominently throughout the market was not involved in piloting the pocket market model in only an important marketing and educational tool, metropolitan Vancouver
Summary
Local food has made a slow but convincing return to North American cities over the past two decades. Within British Columbia, Canada, pocket markets were first pioneered by FoodRoots Distributors Cooperative, a not-for-profit cooperative that distributes local and naturally grown and processed foods throughout greater Victoria They began operating pocket markets in 2005 as a means of recognizing that “farmers were doing all that farmers could do...[and that]...they [FoodRoots] could create the link that brought small farmers and urban consumers together” After learning of FoodRoots’s experience, four community-based organizations in metropolitan Vancouver began testing the model in subsequent years In most instances, these pocket markets were operated by a not-for-profit organization brokering local food in support of area farmers. We conclude by highlighting both the benefits and the challenges of pocket markets for organizers, producers, and consumers, and provide some preliminary recommendations on how to enhance this emerging model
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
