Review of the Job Creation Opportunities of Greater Localization of Food Supply and Consumption

Description

Food localization is an economically viable initiative that addresses some wider themes associated with international development, namely, the question of food insecurity and self- sufficiency faced by local economies; and that of sustainable growth models of development, predicated upon the provision of alternative, local sustainable options for economic security. The challenges created by food insecurity and dependence on imports is compounded by the volatility and unreliability of global oil prices, which in turn has an effect on food prices due to transportation and fossil-fuel inputs costs. Localization aims to eliminate these issues by creating independent and self-sufficient community-based economies with structurally adequate forward and backward linkage food supply chains. Localization not only embodies an environmentally conscious model of growth, but it also fosters economic benefits for the economy mainly achieved through the direct, indirect and induced employment impacts originating from the food industry. The purpose of this research is to provide insight into how the employment potential of localization could be assessed, through a viable impact assessment tool.
The historic and contemporary trends in Peterborough’s food industry justify the economic imperatives for a localization shift. Transition Town Peterborough (TTP)’s 25% shift committee has been conducting research on the economic development opportunities that an increase of 25% in Peterborough’s local food supply and consumption over a decade would generate, with specific attention to employment generation. Research undertaken by TTP suggests that the 25% shift will create a net economic benefit of over $400 million per annum for the local economy (TTP 2014). The purpose of this report is to further enumerate on the economic viability of localization for Peterborough, and to address the alleged and potential economic opportunities arising from its implementation, with special emphasis on job creation. This project also discusses impact assessment methodological options to capture the employment effects of localization. The paper begins by an executive summary and introduction, which set the scene for the analysis of the primary research questions and methodology. This is followed by a section on the findings of the research, informed by the methodology and the research questions. The final component comprises a section on recommendations and a conclusion., By Mutsa Danzvara, Date of Project Submission: April 2016., Completed for: Transition Town Peterborough; Supervising Professor: Paul Schaffer; Trent Community Research Centre Project Coordinator: John Marris, IDST 4220Y - Assessment of Development Projects