Food hubs

Food hubs are a suggested strategy to improve local and regional food systems, facilitate fruit and vegetable purchases by schools, hospitals, and small stores, and increase access to fresh fruits, vegetables, and other healthy foods in communities with low incomes (CDC-State indicator 2018, Lerman 2012, Matson 2013, Schmit 2013, USDA-Matson 2013). Food hubs are also a suggested strategy to improve rural economies and increase the economic viability of small- to mid-size farms (Gaskin 2013, Lerman 2012, Schmit 2013). However, additional evidence is needed to confirm effects.

Food hubs are associated with increased sales opportunities for farmers, increased access to fresh fruits and vegetables for consumers, and increased use of local foods by schools, businesses, and restaurants (Schmidt 2011, USDA-Matson 2013). According to farmer surveys in rural Vermont, food hubs provide a small but important sales opportunity for producers (Conner 2018). By providing a single reliable point of purchase for high quality produce, food hubs can lower the cost of fresh fruits and vegetables for consumers and institutions such as schools, hospitals, and convenience stores (CDC-State indicator 2018). Food hubs provide a valuable link between local food production and mainstream markets and offer an alternative to the industrial food system for consumers (Levkoe 2018).

Available evidence suggests many food hubs attempt to improve equity in access to healthy foods for communities with low incomes; such efforts are especially common among non-profit, recently established food hubs. For food hubs to succeed in these efforts, they require financial stability for the food hub, fair prices for producers, and affordable products for consumers; in the short-term such efforts can be supported through public subsidies (Hoey 2018).

Food hubs may increase access to fresh produce and seasonal, locally grown foods, which may reduce emissions from fossil fuels used to produce, process, and transport food (Ringling 2020, Stone 2021, CCAFS-Campbell 2012). Food hub participation may also reduce the energy intensity of an individual’s diet if more plant-based foods are consumed in place of animal products (Ringling 2020). 

Food hubs that scale up distribution from direct marketing efforts appear to be more successful than those that scale down from mainstream distribution, and those that prioritize social and environmental goals appear more effective than those that focus primarily on economic goals (Cleveland 2014). Food hubs that educate and build strong relationships between their consumers, producers, and staff, and use market analysis, business planning, and business best practices appear to have more sustainable program models and business structures than food hubs that do not (LeBlanc 2014, Severson 2015). Case studies suggest successful food hubs have a strong business plan, a solid financial foundation including capital and infrastructure, a skilled and knowledgeable staff, an awareness of their niche in the local food system, partnerships throughout the food system, an understanding of the market and their customers, and a reliable, consistent supply of quality products (USDA-Feldstein 2017).

Interviews exploring consumer preferences for potential food hubs suggest participants look for availability of whole foods, especially fruits and vegetables; quality, cleanliness, and affordability; programming that builds community; as well as accommodations and cultural accessibility. Food hubs planning to serve communities with low incomes and limited access to fresh produce need to understand potential customer preferences for produce, affordability, and shopping environment to be successful (Clark 2019).

The costs of new infrastructure for cold storage, processing, marketing, and distributing and the need to secure a sizeable number of suppliers and buyers can be challenges to starting a new hub (Lerman 2012). Case studies identify six key challenges for operating a food hub, including balancing supply and demand, maintaining standards for product quality and food safety, aggregating produce quantities at competitive prices, monitoring consumer preferences, accessing infrastructure, and maintaining business stability (Schmit 2019). Case studies of closed food hubs suggest that issues with internal management and board governance are the most significant factors that influence a food hub’s success or failure (USDA-Feldstein 2017).

As of 2018, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports 212 food hubs, 32 state-level food policy councils, and 234 active local food policy councils across the U.S. (CDC-State indicator 2018), for example, Appalachian Harvest in rural Virginia; Good Natured Family Farm regional food hub in Kansas City, Kansas; and Market Mobile regional food hub in Rhode Island and Massachusetts (CDC-HFR 2014). The ReFresh Project in New Orleans is an example of an innovative food hub that collaborates with community development organizations, public health organizations, financial institutions, and private enterprise (BHPN-Miller 2017). The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) interviewed 11 food hubs across the country to develop a report on lessons learned for operating successful food hubs, which includes individual profiles and highlights similarities and differences between food hubs in California, Idaho, Indiana, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin (USDA-Matson 2015). The Michigan Food Hub Learning and Innovation Network facilitates communication, information sharing, and profitable collaboration between 11 active food hubs in Michigan (MSU-MFHN).

USDA’s Rural Business Development Grants offer federal funding for community economic development projects such as food hubs (USDA-RBD grants). The Cumberland Farmers’ Market in Tracy City, Tennessee is an example of a community that used a rural development grant to establish a food hub (LHC-Rockeymoore 2014).

The USDA has the Local and Regional Food System Resource Hub, which was originally launched in response to the COVID-19 pandemic; it is a searchable database for local food hubs, businesses, and producers to share knowledge and resources to address obstacles and find successful marketing and production strategies and innovations for local and regional markets (USDA-Food system resources). Many food hubs, such as the Local Food Hub in Charlottesville, Virginia, used their role in the local food supply chain to help get food to children and older adults when schools and community gathering locations were closed and worked to support farmers and producers that lost significant sales to restaurants, schools, and universities that were either closed or had significantly reduced capacity and demand during the pandemic (LFH-COVID).

CDC DNPAO-Data - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Division of Nutrition Physical Activity and Obesity (DNPAO). Nutrition, physical activity and obesity: Data, trends and maps online tool.

ChangeLab-Food retail - ChangeLab Solutions. Healthy food retail.

ISU-Food and sustainability resources - Iowa State University (ISU), Sustainable Food Processing Alliance. Online resources for food and sustainability.

USDA-Barham 2012 - Barham J, Tropp D, Enterline K, Farbman J, Fisk J, Kiraly S. Regional food hub resource guide: Food hub impacts on regional food systems, and the resources available to support their growth and development. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS); 2012.

USDA-Barham 2015 - Barham J, Delgado F. Building a food hub from the ground up: A facility design case study of Tuscarora organic growers. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service. 2015:1-16.

USDA-Food system resources - U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). (n.d.) Local and regional food system resources.

USDA-Matson 2015 - Matson J, Thayer J, Shaw J. Running a food hub: Lessons learned from the field. Aiken, South Carolina. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA); 2015.

* Journal subscription may be required for access.

BHPN-Miller 2017 - Miller, J. (2017). The ReFresh Project, New Orleans, Louisiana. Build Health Places Network.

CCAFS-Campbell 2012 - Campbell B. Is eating local good for the climate? Thinking beyond food miles. Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), CGIAR Research Programs. 2012.

CDC-HFR 2014 - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity. Healthier food retail (HFR): An action guide for public health practitioners. 2014.

CDC-State indicator 2018 - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity (DNPAO). State indicator report on fruits and vegetables, 2018. Atlanta: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (U.S. DHHS); 2018.

Clark 2019 - Clark J, Rouse C, Sehgal A, et al. A food hub to address healthy food access gaps: Residents’ preferences. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development. 2019;9(1):59-68.

Cleveland 2014* - Cleveland DA, Muller NM, Tranovich AC, Mazaroli DK, Hinson K. Local food hubs for alternative food systems: A case study from Santa Barbara County, California. Journal of Rural Studies. 2014;35:26-36.

Conner 2018* - Conner DS, Sims K, Berkfield R, Harrington H. Do farmers and other suppliers benefit from sales to food hubs? Evidence from Vermont. Journal of Hunger and Environmental Nutrition. 2018;13(4):507-516.

Gaskin 2013 - Gaskin JW, Munden-Dixon K, Furman C, Beechuck M. Is there farmer interest in food hubs in Georgia? A needs assessment survey. Athens: College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences (CAES), University of Georgia; 2013.

Hoey 2018 - Hoey L, Fink Shapiro L, Bielaczyc N. “Put on your own mask before helping others”: The capacity of food hubs to build equitable food access. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development. 2018;8(3):41-60.

Horst 2011* - Horst M, Ringstrom E, Tyman S, Ward MK, Werner V. Toward a more expansive understanding of food hubs. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development. 2011;2(1):209–25.

LeBlanc 2014* - LeBlanc JR, Conner D, McRae G, Darby H. Building resilience in nonprofit food hubs. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development. 2014;4(3):121-135.

Lerman 2012 - Lerman T, Feenstra G, Visher D. A practitioner’s guide to resources and publications on food hubs and values-based supply chains: A literature review. Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SARE), Agricultural Sustainability Institute (ASI), University of California, Davis; 2012.

Levkoe 2018 - Levkoe C, Hammelman C, Craven L, et al. Building sustainable communities through food hubs: Practitioner and academic perspectives. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development. 2018;8(2):107-122.

LFH-COVID - Local Food Hub (LFH). (January 2021). Charlottesville COVID-19 emergency food response: Lessons learned review. Charlottesville, VA.

LHC-Rockeymoore 2014 - Rockeymoore M, Moscetti C, Fountain A. Rural childhood obesity prevention toolkit. Leadership for Healthy Communities (LHC), Center for Global Policy Solutions, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; 2014.

Matson 2013 - Matson J, Thayer J. The role of food hubs in food supply chains. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development. 2013;3(4):43–7.

MSU-MFHN - Michigan State University (MSU), Center for Regional Food Systems. Michigan Food Hub Learning and Innovation Network (MFHN): Providing development and leadership expertise for Michigan businesses that facilitate the aggregation, storage, processing, distribution, and/or marketing of local and regional food products.

Ringling 2020 - Ringling KM, Marquart LF. Intersection of diet, health, and environment: Land grant universities’ role in creating platforms for sustainable food systems. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. 2020;4(70).

Schmidt 2011 - Schmidt MC, Kolodinsky JM, Desisto TP, Conte FC. Increasing farm income and local food access: A case study of a collaborative aggregation, marketing, and distribution strategy that links farmers to markets. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development. 2011;1(4):157–75.

Schmit 2013 - Schmit TM, Jablonski BBR, Kay D. Assessing the economic impacts of regional food hubs: The case of regional access. Ithaca: Cornell University; 2013.

Schmit 2019 - Schmit TM, Severson RM. Building success of food hubs through the cooperative experience - A case study perspective. Journal of Extension. 2019;57(1):1-9.

Severson 2015 - Severson RM, Schmit TM. Building success of food hubs through the cooperative experience: A case study perspective. Ithaca: Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University; 2015.

Stone 2021 - Stone, T., Thompson, J., Rosentrater, K., & Nair, A. (2021). A life cycle assessment approach for vegetables in large-, mid-, and small-scale food systems in the midwest U.S. Sustainability, 13(20).

USDA-Diamond 2012 - Diamond A, Barham J. Moving food along the value chain: Innovations in regional food distribution. Washington, D.C.: Marketing Services Division, Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA); 2012.

USDA-Feldstein 2017 - Feldstein S, Barham J. Running a food hub: Learning from food hub closures. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA); 2017;4.

USDA-Food system resources - U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). (n.d.) Local and regional food system resources.

USDA-Matson 2013 - Matson J, Sullins M, Cook C. The role of food hubs in local food marketing. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development. 2013;73:1-56.

USDA-Matson 2015 - Matson J, Thayer J, Shaw J. Running a food hub: Lessons learned from the field. Aiken, South Carolina. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA); 2015.

USDA-RBD grants - U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Rural business development (RBD) grants.