Research Synthesis

If our shared goal is
to catalyze a strong, thriving
regional food economy
in the Pacific Northwest,
what should we invest in?
Research Chapters
Introduction     |     ​Synthesis     |     Lender Analysis
This is the question that spurred the Cascadia Foodshed Financing Project and Ecotrust to research the opportunity for regional market viability in six food product categories, and to explore the potential for successful collective investment.

CFFP commissioned Ecotrust to conduct a cost of production analysis, primarily in Washington State, across six distinct categories - small grains, leafy greens, storage crops, chicken, beef and pork - at midsize scales appropriate for wholesale purchasing, especially by institutions. This project follows from Ecotrust’s 2015 report, Oregon Food Infrastructure Gap Analysis, a 15-month study funded by Meyer Memorial Trust. That research explored the barriers and gaps preventing regional food economies from flourishing beyond direct market channels, like farmers’ markets and farm subscription programs, to wholesale channels, such as retail grocery, regional restaurant, value-added manufacturing, and institutional foodservice.

The research summary report (sidebar), Cascadia Foodshed Financing Project: Market Research Synthesis, considers the infrastructure report and recommends opportunities to develop profitable differentiated production models in the Pacific Northwest in promising categories or sub-categories. For the purpose of this research, Pacific Northwest is defined as Washington and Oregon.

The complete research is available by product category (above) for review and download.

Download Research Synthesis

Downloadable Files

  Research Synthesis  (673KB)