​Harnessing the Generosity of Farmers
Hannah Wallace, Civil Eats
 
The farm to food bank system in Oregon hits many paying points for CFFP: improved nutrition and health outcomes for low income people, reducing food waste, bridging infrastructure gaps, and more. Within this system, OFB plays a key role in intermediary steps between farm and food bank, providing packaging and transportation that would be otherwise impossible for farmers themselves to provide. Philanthropic or financial involvement in crucial roles like OFB’s would truly be a  “systems change” type of investment.
 
The Oregon Food Bank (OFB) has taken incredible steps towards filling local food banks with local food. What was once one of the most food insecure states in the country now has a food bank system in place that provides access to diverse, nutritious, and fresh products. OFB has achieved this by working with farmers of all sizes across the state. The farmers donate bulk produce, which is transported to food hubs, packaged, and delivered to local food banks – all by OFB volunteers. As highlighted in this article, clients of food banks like SnowCap in Portland can exercise preference, creativity, and personality in their shopping experience that is usually reserved for retail outlets. Similar efforts are occurring in Washington through Farm to Food Pantry.

​Organic Economics In A World of Industrial Agriculture: Applying the Power of Nature
Harn Soper, Green Money
 
Not all of us at CFFP consider food to be our primary world of work, but we have a hunger to learn more. For many members, the Market Research process revealed the benefits of diving deep on certain topics and exploring “how things work”. In this article, author and founder of Sustainable Farm Partners Harn Soper gives a rapid-fire history of America’s journey to Industrial Agriculture, essentially answering the question: “How did we get here?” As we seek to change the inequities of that system, it is important to understand the history behind it.
 
From pre-WWII local food systems, to wartime rations and high-volume production, to post-war agriculture policies, the industrial agricultural system we see today was created intentionally – with unintentional side effects. Namely, deterioration of soil and potential human health threats continue to erode our faith in the current system. The author proposes a return to organic family farms, and not without justification. From his own farming experience, Soper even shows the economic benefits of sticking out the transition to organic and works to help others do the same. 

​Edible Food Packaging Made From Milk Proteins
American Chemical Society, EurekAlert
 
Casein-based packaging is an example of how CFFP principles can be incorporated into any step of the value chain. This intervention reduces both environmental and food waste by better protecting food through a biodegradable and regenerative materials.
 
The American Chemical Society has collaborated with USDA to create a sustainable, biodegradable, and even edible food packaging made from casein, a milk protein. The protein-based packaging is less porous than petroleum-based plastics, preventing spoilage and thus reducing food waste. Other applications of the casein-based material include laminate for paper products or a protective coating for foods that need to stay crisp.

​To Make a Difference, Family Philanthropy Must Take More Risks
Katherine Lorenz, The National Center for Family Philanthropy
 
CFFP seeks to create both systems change and support enterprise success. As our Market Research suggests, food systems change is the more involved and risky of the two endeavors. And, as this article suggests, philanthropy alone has small resources to address large and complex issues, making food systems change all the more daunting. However, while CFFP may not single handedly create food systems change, the risks we take will set a precedent for others to get involved. Our innovations and learnings can provide a way for governments, other nonprofits, and individuals to join in tackling the complex issue of food systems improvement.
 
“Philanthropy is trying to address the world’s most entrenched social issues. If it were easy to solve these problems, they would be solved already.” Clearly, the problems remain unsolved. The author suggests a pivot in philanthropic strategy is required: complex problems require innovative solutions, and innovative solutions require risk. The words “philanthropy” and “risk” are seldom paired together. At the same time, family philanthropies are uniquely positioned to test out solutions that can be adapted, scaled, and implemented by larger bodies with more resources. 

​“4 Things Every Investor Should Know About Vertical Farming: Lessons Learned From AVF Summit”
Chris Powers, AgFunder News
 
Hydroponic micro-greens emerged from our Ecotrust research as a way to get leafy greens into urban areas, and also emerged from the Bowman Analysis as a winning category for investment. So—what do we do next as investors? In this article, writer and entrepreneur Chris Powers outlines four key takeaways from the Association for Vertical Farming’s summit in Amsterdam last month to educate investors on the state of affairs in vertical farming and tips for involvement.
 
A state of the industry landscape scan indicates that most vertical farming operations provide micro-greens and lettuces to select restaurants and CSA’s. While the technology exists for sophisticated vertical farming, we need entrepreneurs with a mastery of techniques and breadth of knowledge to build the industry. The biggest hang-up for these entrepreneurs are a slew of startup costs that, if unaccounted for, can easily thwart an otherwise solid business plan. The author closes with ways that investors and entrepreneurs alike can go above and beyond to make vertical farming as sustainable as possible, for instance by growing in point-of-sale locations and eliminating food miles.

​“Buying Organic Honey? Here’s What You Should Know.”
Elizabeth Grossman, Civil Eats
 
The dilemma presented in this article is a prime example of the challenges that make us ask, “what is ‘good enough’?” in food systems work. While increased farm acreage at first appears to be a good thing, we must ask questions like “what kind of acreage?” “where is this acreage?” and “at what cost?”
 
Domestic organic honey may soon become a thing of the past for the United States. As industrial farming expands and encroaches on remaining prairies and woodlands, pesticide and herbicide-free land that is safe for bees diminishes. Even in remote parts of North Dakota, the “last best place in the country to grow organic honey,” beekeepers see a direct (and adverse) relationship between increased farm acreage and pounds of honey produced per hive.

Cascadia Foodshed Financing Project works at nexus of food, financing, and philanthropy. This space is where Impact Investing resides, a term that is as well defined as the term ‘sustainability.’
 
Our research has revealed further definition of the impact investing space to separate Venture Philanthropy from Impact Investing.  Venture Philanthropy is a nebulous term used to describe alternative funding approaches that produce both social impact and financial return on investment. As noted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, there is no one strategy for Venture Philanthropy but rather a set of common characteristics that help to define work in the field.  Some groups may highlight the use of blended finance including investment and grant making in tandem. Others may emphasize the additional use of skill sharing and other forms of nonfinancial support. Still others might emphasize the importance of systems change over the success of individual deals.
 
As CFFP seeks to build the regional food system of the Pacific Northwest through impact investing and venture philanthropy, we strive to stay abreast of the work of others. Our recently released Market Research explores new paths for the role of venture philanthropy within our own focus of food and place.
 
Here, we’ve gathered a starter pack of resources that provide a lay of the land surrounding venture philanthropy – both the intellectual development of the field and its manifestations on the ground:
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• Nonprofit Quarterly: What is Venture Philanthropy?

 

• Toniic Institute: Successes and challenges of venture philanthropists and impact investors working together to fund early-stage impact enterprises around the world.

 

• Investopedia: What is the difference between Venture Philanthropy and Impact Investment?

 

• OECD: To what extent may Venture Philanthropy have a role in development?

 

• What are some models guiding the work of venture philanthropy today  
  
  • Asia Venture Philanthropy Network’s Capability Development Model
    
  •  European Venture Philanthropy Association
    
  •   Northwest Venture Philanthropy

ReFED: data-driven food waste reduction
 
CFFP seeks to make investments that align with our guiding principles of health, rural community resilience, social equity, policy influence, and job creation. ReFED is a unique resource in that it allows users to filter its 27 solutions based on a variety of lenses including, for example, financial benefit or job creation. This allows users to find solutions that (1) reduce food waste and (2) align with their agency’s own guiding principles and values.
 
In the United States, we spend $128 billion dollars a year on food that is never consumed. ReFED is a “data-driven guide for businesses, government, funders, and nonprofits to collectively reduce food waste at scale.” The group estimates that “together, we can reduce U.S. food waste by 50% by 2030”. ReFED outlines 27 different solutions to food waste that range from prevention to recovery to recycling.

​“Paying Farmers to Go Organic, Even Before the Crops Come In”
Stephanie Strom, New York Times
 
CFFP and Ecotrust’s market research focused on ways investors can interface with the food value chain in order to build a more sustainable regional food system. While the research is completed, a continued awareness of other efforts in our food system will give CFFP an even sharper focus of where to most effectively intervene. Industrial food companies may facilitate the conversion to organic in many states, but infrastructural challenges of aggregation, processing, and distribution still remain for mid-size farmers in our region. This provides further evidence that infrastructural support may be a great niche for investment.
 
In order to be certified organic in the United States, farmers must undergo an expensive process to convert their land. During the required three-year transition period to organic, farmers forgo synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and GMO seeds that may reduce production costs while receiving no organic premiums for their products. In order to keep up with consumer demand for organic and non-GMO products, food hegemons including Kellogg and General Mills have been helping farmers convert to organic. They provide financial support during the rough transition period and provide a guaranteed market for crops once they are finished.