Supply Network Analysis to Accelerate Vermont’s Food Hub Development and Collaboration

UVM researchers and their partners are using spatial analysis tools and stakeholder engagement to better understand how food from Vermont farms is grown, processed, delivered and marketed. The goal is to help improve the entire supply chain and build a more resilient food system in Vermont.

The Challenge

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A major barrier to the adoption of regenerative agriculture practices is the lack of appropriate scale of infrastructure to reliably and efficiently process, transport, and market regional food products from farms across Vermont. This “missing middle” in the supply chain is essential for building a resilient food system in Vermont.

The Proposed Solution

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This project supports supply chain spatial mapping and analysis, which can also act as a springboard for conducting regional supply chain analysis and strategic planning in service to New England Feeding New England’s goal of supplying 30% of the region’s food from local sources. 

This project is a partnership between the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund and UVM’s Spatial Analysis Lab. Together, they will create an interactive food system supply chain mapping and analysis tool to identify assets and gaps, spatially analyze supply chain relationships between production, processing, and distribution to guide strategic infrastructure investment and enable scenario planning for new products, marketing, routing, and infrastructure. 

Project Details

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Community Partner:Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund 
UVM Partners:

Spatial Analysis Lab

Dept. of Community Development and Applied Economics

Amount:$159,428 Partnership Grant
Primary Region:

Statewide 

Focus Areas:Regenerative Agriculture