As the saying goes, “If you ate today, thank a farmer.” While this is certainly true, it captures only a fraction of the exceptional value that agricultural producers and local food systems contribute to the health and wellbeing of individuals, the community, the environment, and the economy.
No longer a niche offering, the concept of “farm to table” has evolved into a movement whereby consumers seek to create direct relationships with the producers from whom their food is derived. From individuals and families to restaurateurs who build their menus around seasonally available fare and economic development departments who structure entire tourism strategies around these local food systems, the sourcing of local goods has become an experience unto itself: one with cascading economic and social benefits that reach far beyond the farm.
Leveraging local
While the concept of “local” varies, across North America it is generally accepted that local food systems are those that take place within a 400-mile radius. Sourced via farm stands, farmers markets, and other platforms, and supported by the connective power of social media, consumers are increasingly taking advantage of direct sales from local agricultural and agri-food producers.
Between 1997 and 2015, national sales of local foods from direct marketing channels in the U.S. grew from $511 million to an astounding $8.7 billion, demonstrating the strength of the market and the potential of local purchasing power.
The removal of distributors and middlemen offers consumers direct access to the freshest fruits and vegetables, meat and poultry, eggs, dairy, and other goods, while improving profit margins for producers, enabling them to reinvest in their operations. Greater demand means greater capacity to grow on-farm diversity and include a wider selection of crops or goods, often including heirloom varieties that are slowly being erased by more genetically viable crops. This helps to safeguard soil health and decreases the need for long-term synthetic inputs, which, again, improves the overall quality and nutrition of the outputs. And of course, shorter transportation times promote optimal quality and freshness while minimizing the carbon footprint and avoidable food waste that results from longer transportation times and the movement of goods.
Figures from Second Harvest show that avoidable food waste contributes approximately 25.7 million metric tonnes of carbon emissions annually. While much of this waste occurs at the household level, localized food systems reduce the waste incurred during long shipping distances and time spent on grocery store shelves, all while creating jobs and driving the economy.
The multiplier effect
Farm to table not only tastes good; it feels good to support, which is why more people are turning to locally sourced foods to promote individual health and wellbeing, as well as economic and community wellbeing.
The girls’ weekend at the winery, apple picking with the family, or simply a stop at a local farm stand or farmers market has a resounding impact on local job and wealth creation. Local and regional food systems are primary employers, but they also support secondary and tertiary sectors like delivery and logistics, food production, tourism, retail, and hospitality, meaning that for every dollar spent, the impact is multiplied.
A study by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) found that local food systems have an economic multiplier on jobs of 1.41 to 1.78, meaning that for every job created in local food systems, an additional 0.41 to 0.78 jobs are created in other sectors in the region. These findings are reinforced by a study by Schmit et al. (2013), which found that local food hubs can have an economic multiplier impact ranging from 1.63 to 1.82 for every dollar invested, though the figures differ by region.
Local demand, regional and national growth
Scale is one of the most important elements of the farm-to-table movement. From markets to artisanal food production, tourism, and hospitality, agriculture has a relatively low barrier to entry, but a resounding payoff. In fact, some of the brands consumers know and love got their start at stalls in local farmers markets.
Certainly, a great deal of knowledge and overhead is required to produce agriculture, but secondary goods and spinoff businesses can be incubated and tested before they are scaled and sustainably grown with demand, which is strong. Nationally, Canadian consumers spend $213.6 billion on food, beverage, tobacco, and cannabis each year, the third-largest household expenditure behind shelter and transportation, and increasingly these dollars are being spent locally and regionally, with tangible impact.
According to a 2024 report by the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA), The Economic Impacts of Farming in Ontario, farming revenue in Ontario in 2020 was an astounding $18.2 billion, representing nearly 300,000 jobs, labour income of $7.8 billion, tax revenue of $1.27 billion, and a contribution of $15.3 billion to provincial GDP.
On the food production side, in 2020 the food manufacturing sector generated $51.5 billion in initial revenue and 584,577 jobs, with labour income of $19.9 billion, tax revenue of $2.8 billion, and GDP contribution of $35.99 billion, which goes to show that agriculture feeds the population and fuels the greater economy.
Canada is one of the world’s largest agricultural producers, ranking as the ninth-largest agri-food exporter, representing $100.3 billion in exports in 2024. Canadian products can be found in over 200 countries worldwide, which wouldn’t be possible without the nearly 190,000 farms nationwide that support these markets, near and far. The Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector demonstrates exceptional growth potential due to the availability of land and resources, access to international markets, and a reputation for stewardship, quality, and relationships built on trust, which originates locally and extends outward.
Strengthening community through local food systems
Agriculture is without a doubt a pillar of the economy, but also of the community, and it serves as a mechanism of equity, meaning its benefits must be accessible to all, not reserved solely for those who can afford it.
In 2018, 7,206 markets and direct-market farmers in the U.S. accepted the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program’s Electronic Benefit Transfer (SNAP EBT), resulting in $24 million spent, meaning greater access to fresh foods for those who would have otherwise been excluded, and more support for local producers.
However, the strength of local food systems relies not only on for-profit producers, but also on the non-profit organizations that work to bridge the gap in access for all. Community gardens, culturally competent foraging efforts, and local food resource programs also have a role to play in ensuring equity and sustainability across the system.
Harvest Algoma is an example of a regional food resource centre that seeks to connect local food systems to those who need it most, diverting waste and maximizing impact in the process. Each year, the Great Pumpkin Rescue appeals to local residents to donate unpainted and undecorated pumpkins to be used for food, compost, and animal feed in the region, ensuring that the two-thirds of the 80,000 metric tonnes of nutritious pumpkins produced each year in Canada aren’t wasted solely on seasonal displays.
While this is just one example of the collaborative power of local food systems, countless efforts are taking place at the local and regional levels to create sustainable, equitable, and viable systems that extend the bounty of the harvest to all. And while these systems feed the population with fresh and nutritious food, they are also driving the strength of local, regional, and national economies in a way that prioritizes profit alongside people and the planet.
