Food Hub

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A food hub , as defined by the USDA , is “a centrally located facility with a management structure that facilitates the aggregation, storage, processing, distribution and / or marketing of locally / regionally produced food”. Food hubs are part of the agricultural value chain model and often share common values ​​in terms of conservation, sustainability, access to healthy food and support for local farmers. A key feature of Food Hubs is source identification, a food safety benefit and marketing benefit that allows consumers to trace the origins of the products they buy. One of the main goals of Food Hubs is to give small and medium-sized farmers access to larger or additional markets. Food centers also fill gaps in food systems infrastructure, such as transportation, product storage, and product processing. Although companies and organizations that meet the USDA definition have been operating in the United States since the late early 1970s, most food hubs started around 2008. It was around this time that the term became common.

Diagram of a food hub

Core functions

Food Hubs handle some or all of the following:

  • Aggregation: Compilation of products from different suppliers / companies for distribution via a single channel
  • Distribution: storage of products and transport to the customer
  • Marketing and sales: Finding buyers, selling and promoting products and promoting the brand identity of the companies.

Types

Food hubs are generally classified into three different types.

  • Retail or Farm to Consumer (F2C): This model gives farmers more access to high-quality markets by distributing products directly to consumers online, in a retail area or through a community based agriculture , also known as CSA, by subscription.
  • Wholesale or Farm to Business / Institution (F2B): This model gives farmers access to high volume markets such as schools, grocery stores, hospitals and restaurants that they normally couldn't get on their own for lack of volume or consistency. This method of aggregating products to meet higher volume requirements is more efficient for the buyer and makes it easier for him to purchase regional products throughout the year.
  • Hybrid: This model includes both retail and wholesale operations. A food hub can be set up as a non-profit organization, for-profit company, or a cooperative.

See also

credentials

  1. ↑ USDA Blog “Getting to Scale with Regional Food Hubs .
  2. ↑ Food Value Chains and Food Hubs: Supporting Local Producers Through Collaborative Planning, Aggregation, and Distribution | Agricultural Marketing Service .
  3. ↑ Food Hubs: Supply Chain Traceability to Enhance Local Food Systems . In: Food Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal . September 3.
  4. ↑ Giaime Berti, Catherine Mulligan: Competitiveness of Small Farms and Innovative Food Supply Chains: The Role of Food hubs in Creating Sustainable Regional and Local Food Systems . In: Sustainability . 8, No. 7, July 1, 2016, p. 616. doi : 10.3390 / su8070616 .
  5. ^ A b Findings of the 2013 National Food Hub Survey .
  6. ↑ Anuj Mittal, Caroline C. Krejci, Teri J. Craven: Logistics Best Practices for Regional Food Systems: A Review . In: Sustainability . 10, No. 1, January 2018, p. 168. doi : 10.3390 / su10010168 .
  7. ↑ a b Regional Food Hub Resource Guide . 2012.
  8. ↑ A Guide for Scaling Up Food Hubs .