Farmers' Markets, Environmental Policy and Sustainable Agriculture

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Farmers' Markets, Environmental Policy and
Sustainable Agriculture

• Ben Feldman
• Environmental Science Graduate Student Conference
• September 21st, 2004

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Signposting

• What is a farmers' market?
• Farmers' market history in the United States
• Research on farmers' markets
• Where do we go from here?

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What is a farmers' Market?

• Put generally, farmers markets are recurring
  events at set locations were farmers sell
  products to consumers.
• Many terms are sometimes used to describe farmers
  markets.

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Terms used for farmers' markets

• farm stands
• curb/tailgate markets
• flea markets
• swap meets

• public markets
• municipal markets
• terminal markets
• farm shops

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Farmers' markets defined

• Markets in which several farmers sell their own
  products. Detailed descriptions will be necessary
  to differentiate producer-only markets from
  markets in which producers and resellers mingle,
  but farm shops and farm stands should be excluded
  from farmers-market tallies, regardless of what
  the proprietor names the business. Wholesale and
  retail farmers markets should be tallied
  separately, noting cases in which wholesale
  markets have retail sections.
• --Allison Brown from Counting Farmers Markets
  2001

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Farmers' markets defined (cont.)

• Certified Farmers' Market. A location approved
  by the county agricultural commissioner of that
  county where agricultural products are sold by
  producers or certified producers directly to
  consumers. A certified farmers' market may be
  operated by one or more certified producers, by a
  nonprofit organization, or by a local government
  agency.
• --CALIFORNIA CODE OF REGULATIONS
• Title 3. Food And Agriculture
• Division 3. Economics
• Chapter 1. Fruit and Vegetable Standardization
• Subchapter 4. Fresh Fruits, Nuts and Vegetables
• Article 6.5. Direct Marketing
• Section 1392.2. Definitions

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Farmers' Market History
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Farmers' Market History (cont.)

• Farmers' markets are an ancient traditions, with
  roots in many cultures, including ancient
  Sumeria, Greece and Babylon. Early American
  farmers' markets came to the United States from
  Europe and pre-date the Revolutionary war.

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Farmers' Market History (cont.)

• Central Market in Lancaster, PA, the oldest
  market in the United States has been in operation
  continuously since the 1730's

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Farmers' Market History (cont.)The number of
farmers' markets in the United States at various
times
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Farmers' Market History (cont.)Significant
events in the recent history of farmers' markets
in the United States

• 1943 - San Francisco Water Authority officer and
  farmer John Brucato starts the first of six
  markets in San Francisco
• 1948 to 1970 - The 'green revolution' and
  industrialization change the face of agricultural
  production and distribution, destroying the
  market for locally grown, seasonal produce
• 1976 - U.S. Congress passes Public Law 94-463,
  the Farmer-to-Consumer Direct Marketing Act
• 1977 - California and Maine create market
  certification regulations
• 1980 The number of farmers markets in the
  United States is up nearly four times over 1970
• 1981-1988 Financial support for farmers markets
  declines as the Reagan administration decreases
  funding for community development
• 1990's The number of markets in the United
  States undergoes another dramatic increase as
  concern over health and diet increases.

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Farmers Market Research

• Question
• What do we know about Farmers Markets?

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Farmers Market Research (cont)

• Answer
• Not Much

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Farmers Market Research (cont)

• Much of the research on farmers' markets is
  sparse, outdated and contradictory. Research
  tends to fall into one of the following
  categories
• Who and Why Who attends these markets (producers
  and consumers) and why?
• Economic Impacts How do farmers' markets impact
  farmers and local communities economically?
• Social and political What relationship exists
  between farmers' markets and various social or
  political movements?
• Farmers markets as research sites In a number of
  studies farmers markets are used as places to
  conduct research.

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Who?
Why?

• Consumers
• Female/Couples
• Older
• High levels of income/education
• Farmers
• Small
• Diverse
• Fruits and Vegetables

• Consumers
• Freshness/Quality
• Price
• Variety
• Atmosphere/Experience
• Farmers
• Economics
• Atmosphere/Experience
• Feedback

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Economic Impacts

• Farmers' markets have been shown to be a
  significant source of income to many farmers who
  participate. Recent studies have estimated that
  directly marketed produce may account for as much
  as 2 of total US produce sales, or over 1
  billion.

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Economic Impacts (cont.)

• It has also been shown that farmers markets
  increase sales at nearby businesses. One study
  suggested that customers at the market spent as
  much as 11,000 in the surrounding community on
  market days. Considering the populations of the
  towns studied was between 40,000 and 50,000 this
  value is quite significant.

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Social and Political

• One study conducted by a psychiatrist showed
  farmers markets to be more friendly, personal
  and happier
• Some researchers have suggested that farmers
  markets may have played an important role in the
  development of markets for exotic, unusual, and
  organic produce

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Farmers markets as research locations

• Farmers markets have been used as research sites
  in a number of studies such as
• Attitudes towards chemical use in agriculture and
  produce quality
• Attitudes towards sustainable agriculture
• Attitudes on food safety
• Waste food recovery

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Where do we go from here?

• More research needs to be conducted on farmers
  markets
• Research to develop comprehensive data on
  farmers markets in the United States
• Research to more fully explain the role of
  farmers in local communities
• Research on the relationship between farmers
  markets and organic agriculture, sustainable
  agriculture and emerging food movements

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Where do we go from here? (cont.)

• More funding needs to be made available for
  farmers markets
• Greater coordination between markets and market
  organizations (CA Federation, North American
  Direct Marketing) is needed
• A definition/classification system should be
  developed

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• THE END!