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  • From: "Tradingpost" <tradingpost@lobo.net>
  • To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [Livingontheland] On Job Creation—Local Fruits and Vegetables vs. Corn and Soybeans
  • Date: Sun, 04 Apr 2010 13:15:56 -0600


Like I've claimed so many times, we can grow a lot more good food on a lot
less land and provide a lot more work for a lot of unemployed. But my little
soapbox doesn't reach very far. IATPs and the Leopold Centers DO reach a wide
audience, and it's about time.

paul tradingpost@lobo.net
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Only 270,025 acres—roughly equivalent to the average cropland in one of
Iowa's counties—would be needed to grow enough fruits and vegetables for the
six-state region."


On Job Creation—Local Fruits and Vegetables vs. Corn and Soybeans
http://iatp.typepad.com/thinkforward/2010/04/on-job-creation-fruits-and-vegetables-vs-corn-and-soybeans.html
by Ben Lilliston Sunday, April 4, 2010 by Think Forward

It turns out that foods that are better for you may also be better for
farmers and local job creation. A new study by the Leopold Center for
Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University found that expanding fruit
and vegetable production in the upper Midwest could bring significantly more
economic benefits than conventional corn and soybean production on the same
acreage.

The study, by Iowa State Research Scientist Dave Swenson, looked at the
potential for fruit and vegetable production in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana,
Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. It identified 28 kinds of fruits and
vegetables that farmers are able to grow in the region. Currently, much of
the fruits and vegetables in the region come from other parts of the country
or even outside the country.

A new study by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State
University found that expanding fruit and vegetable production in the upper
Midwest could bring significantly more economic benefits than conventional
corn and soybean production on the same acreage.

Some key findings on the economic impacts on the region as a whole:

* Increased fruit and vegetable production in the six states could mean
$882 million in sales at the farm level, and more than 9,300 jobs. Corn and
soybean production on that same acreage would support only 2,578 jobs.

* If half of the increased production was sold in farmer-owned stores, it
would require 1,405 such stores staffed by 9,652 people.

* Only 270,025 acres—roughly equivalent to the average cropland in one of
Iowa's counties—would be needed to grow enough fruits and vegetables for the
six-state region.

Previous research found that smaller sized farms (50 acres and smaller) are
more likely to produce fruits and vegetables than standard-sized farms so it
is likely that more, smaller farms would be needed. Researchers assumed that
50 percent of fruit and vegetable production would be directly marketed
in-state by farmer-owned stores. Local and regional ownership of the food
chain will be essential for maximum job creation.

The study breaks down the numbers by state and metropolitan region so it's
easy to get a sense of what your neck of the woods could be doing to create
new local food jobs.

The barriers to transitioning toward more fruit and vegetable production in
the Midwest are enormous. Farmland is hard to come by as values are seen as a
better investment than the stock market. U.S. farm policy greatly
incentivizes corn and soybean production in a number of ways, including
helping farmers to manage risks and supporting research for those crops. And
then there's the lack of infrastructure needed to help local food systems
serve a booming market. Despite these barriers, this study gives us a
guidepost for the potential economic benefits of a new model for agriculture
that produces healthier and more locally grown food.
~~~~~~~~~~
Think Forward is a blog written by staff of the Institute for Agriculture and
Trade Policy covering sustainability as it intersects with food, rural
development, international trade, the environment and public health.





  • [Livingontheland] On Job Creation—Local Fruits and Vegetables vs. Corn and Soybeans, Tradingpost, 04/04/2010

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