
A baseline food system assessment is a tool for deepening a community’s understanding of its food system. It is a systematic way of collecting baseline data and stories that define a community’s food system with the goal of identifying ways to enhance or strengthen the food system.
Baseline assessments involves both qualitative and quantitative data about all parts of a community’s food system, including food production, distribution, consumption, and waste disposal. Much/most of the data in a baseline assessment is secondary data which gives a snapshot of the current realities of the food system and encourages using a ‘food lens’ with data already being collected by partner (or potential partner) organizations in the community.
By conducting a baseline assessment, your food council can:
- Deepen its understanding of its food system;
- Increase awareness of the food system’s assets, challenges, and opportunities;
- Build connections and create alignment across sectors of the food system;
- Add value to partner initiatives through sharing access to baseline data;
- Offer a model that can help other communities interested in conducting an assessment.
Coming Soon – Baseline Community Food System Assessment Toolkit! Soon, we will be releasing this toolkit as a guide to help communities develop their own baseline food system assessment.
Examples of food system assessments and action plans:
Statewide
- From Farm to Fork: A Guide to Building North Carolina’s Sustainable Local Food Economy
- 2010 – Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS)
Regional
- Southeastern NC Regional Food System Assessment
- 2015, Southeastern NC Regional Health Collaborative
- CONNECT Our Future: Food System Assessment Report
- 2014 – ASAP, CEFS, CFSA
- Local Food and Farm Assessment – Avery, Rutherford, and Yancey Counties
- 2013 – Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project
- Food and Farm Assessment for a Five-County Region in the Southern Appalachians
- 2012 – Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project
- Growing Local: Expanding the Western North Carolina Food and Farm Economy
- 2007 – Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP)
County
- Baseline Assessment of Pitt County’s Community Food System
- 2016 – Pitt County Farm and Food Council
- Orange County Baseline Community Food Assessment
- 2016 – Orange County Food Council
- Healthy Fresh, Local Food: An Action Plan for Increasing Availability and Access in Beaufort County, North Carolina
- 2014 – Carolina Farm Stewardship Association
- Forsyth County’s Community Food System: A Foundation to Grow
- 2013 – Forsyth Local Food, Forsyth Futures, CEFS
- Asheville Food Policy Action Plan
- Clay County Food and Farm Assessment
- 2011 – Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project
- Cabarrus County Food System Assessment
- 2010 – Center for Environmental Farming Systems
In Neighboring States
- Making Small Farms Into Big Business – South Carolina
- 2013 – Crossroads Resource Center
- Greenville Area Food System Assessment
- Planning for the Food System
- Road Map for the Food Economy–A Tool for Focusing Action, Measuring Progress and Celebrating Success