August 31, 2023 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today introduced new resources to help local and regional food systems leaders prepare and respond to disruptions to their food systems.
Through the Local and Regional Food System (LRFS) Recovery and Resilience project USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) worked with university and community partners to document local and regional food systems’ responses to disruptions including the Covid-19 pandemic and extreme climate events.
AMS recently completed The Resilience Playbook as part of this project, a collection of recommendations, resources, and case studies compiled into a multi-media story map.
This playbook is designed to support food systems leaders who are seeking to broaden their understanding of the distinct strengths and vulnerabilities of local and regional food systems.
Ultimately, this resource builds bridges of understanding between the many dimensions of local and regional food systems, the formal world of disaster planning and response, and long-term economic and community development.
This project was in fulfillment of a cooperative research agreement between AMS’ Local and Regional Foods Division, Colorado State University, the University of Kentucky, and many community partners. The Resilience Playbook can be found at https://lfscovid.localfoodeconomics.com/resilience-playbook/.
