Abstract
The dramatic rise of the foods market and the need for sustainable local food value chains has correspondingly led to innovative solutions designed to meet this burgeoning demand. Food hubs are just one of the local entities increasing in number across the U.S. and being used to facilitate a closer connection between producers and consumers. Despite their popularity and increasing numbers, there exists comparatively little systematic research regarding food hubs; for example, investigation into the primary impetus for the formation of food hubs and local food chains, best practices, demonstrated impacts on the community, coexistence with current food supply chains, food safety, and the long-term viability of such entities have been explored only minimally in current literature. This commentary provides a brief context to present relevant questions for further research in the emerging trend of food hubs.
Highlights
There has been significant growth in the local foods movement in the United States in the past decade
(USDA) service report, “The Role of Food Hubs in Local Food Marketing,” cites the growth in direct-marketing channels and the increasing number of farmers choosing to utilize these channels as evidence of a local foods “phenomenon.” As an example, the report states, “USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service lists 7,864 U.S farmers’ markets in operation in 2012, up from 7,175 the previous year, for a 1-year increase of nearly 10 percent.”
Though much remains to be learned about them, food hubs continue to be one of the most exciting innovations in the local foods supply chain
Summary
There has been significant growth in the local foods movement in the United States in the past decade. The USDA’s working definition of a food hub includes “a business or organization that actively manages the aggregation, distribution, and marketing of source-identified food products primarily from local and regional producers to strengthen their ability to satisfy wholesale, retail, and institutional demand”
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