The RI Food Policy Council (RIFPC) is working to promote a more accessible, equitable, and sustainable food system in Rhode Island. They work to coordinate a statewide collaboration of diverse, committed and engaged stakeholders from all sectors of the food system. And they create partnerships, develop policies, and advocate for improvements to the local food system to increase and expand its capacity, viability, and sustainability.
Visit the RIFPC’s website for helpful resources, including:
- A live Bill Tracker for legislation pertaining to food policy, and where a bill stands in the process.
- Data and metrics on the five core Rhode Island Food System elements:
- Preserve and grow agriculture and fisheries
- Sustain and create markets for Rhode Island Food and Beverage products
- Enhance the climate for food and beverage businesses
- Ensure food security for all Rhode Islanders
- Minimize food waste as well as diverting it from the waste stream
- Rhode Island Stories highlighting how Rhode Island agencies, organizations, businesses, and individuals are working to improve the state’s food system. Each story is linked to a goal set out in Relish Rhody, our state’s five-year food strategy.
- And more!
THE CHALLENGE: Small and medium-sized local farmers don’t have the capacity to research and approach numerous wholesale markets and often don’t grow on a scale to serve wholesale customers, limiting their ability to survive and thrive financially.
THE APPROACH: Market Mobile is a transparent distribution system that connects RI, MA and CT farmers and food producers with wholesale buyers like chefs, grocers, schools, hospitals, farm stands, and buying clubs. It uses an e-commerce platform, personalized customer service, professional staff, and a fleet of delivery vehicles to help farmers focus on farming, increase overall sale of locally grown products, and provide buyers with a more efficient system for buying local food.
