Washington State Food System Assessment

To respond to sustained high rates of food insecurity, food supply chain disruptions, and disproportionate impacts related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the State of Washington via the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) has asked the University of Washington to conduct an assessment of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and risks affecting Washington’s food system, with a special emphasis on identifying the needs and barriers of underserved, food insecure Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC) and other socially disadvantaged communities. The UW will take a whole systems approach, synthesizing consumer, and producer trends, to enhance WSDA’s understanding of, and capabilities to co-create, a resilient, economically viable and equitable food system.