A new tool entitled What’s the Big Deal? Assessing and Financing Regional Food Enterprises, will help funders and investors better understand and assess regional food businesses. The goal is to see even more funders take a seat at the local foods table— including credit unions, equity investors, foundations, impact investors and angel investors.
“Since 2009, USDA has invested over $1 billion in local and regional food businesses and infrastructure projects, in support of the vision of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, who describes Local and Regional Food Systems as one of the four pillars of Agricultural and Rural Economic Development. Now we’re working to help other funders—from traditional financial institutions to nonprofit and philanthropic partners—understand investment opportunities in the quickly growing local food sector with a new, free online training course.”