The DC Food Policy Council (FPC) and the DC Office of Planning (OP) worked with a consulting team at ICF International to produce a report to help to understand the impact of food on our local economy.
In September 2019, the FPC published the report. You can read the full report here and the one pager with the key findings here.
What is the purpose of this study?
This study directly advances two of DCFPC’s main goals: to monitor regulatory barriers to the development of a local food economy, and to collect and analyze data on the local food economy. It will inform DCFPC’s strategy development process and provide recommendations to support and grow the local food economy.
What does the study include?
The study is a deep dive into the District’s local food economy and will, include food production, wholesaling, distribution, catering, restaurants, and more. The project uses data from large datasets and targeted surveys and interviews with local food entrepreneurs, operators, and staff.
- Clearly define the District’s food industry clusters and their impact on the District’s economy
- Analyze changes and trends in food businesses over time
- Identify gaps and opportunities for food policy action
- Provide a series of high-level recommendations for retention and expansion of this sector in the local economy
Building a more equitable, healthy, and sustainable District food system 