Sustainable agriculture: growing a vibrant New England.

• Position: HEALTHY COMMUNITIES & CLF VENTURES

From Hurricane Irene to a dry winter and record-breaking March heat, the past year may be remembered as the year in which climate change reshaped parts of New England. Rivers have been redrawn, billions in property damages lost, and roads and farmland wiped out. Together, these are the unprecedented challenges of climate change. But where there are challenges, there are opportunities--opportunities CLF and CLF Ventures (CLFV) see in what's on your plate: food.

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Food lies at the intersection of many of our most pressing problems--the obesity epidemic, soaring healthcare costs, a faltering economy, and climate change. By creating a sustainable regional food system, we can begin to tackle some of these issues.

In 2010, CLF launched a new Sustainable Farm and Food Initiative, building on CLF's past efforts to foster a regional agricultural economy through a variety of market, legislative, regulatory, coalition-building and other efforts to strengthen the business of local farming. Housed within our Healthy Communities and Environmental Justice Program, the Farm and Food Initiative sees sustainable agriculture businesses--including urban and peri-urban agriculture--as a key component in creating a more carbon-resilient, healthier, and economically vibrant New England. In conjunction with CLF's program focus, CLF Ventures, CLF's business consulting affiliate, has begun working on a set of complementary market-based strategies to overcome market hurdles and advance market access for agriculture at the local and regional scale.

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Locally, CLFV is working with the Rhode Island Food Policy Council (RIFPC), a statewide collaborative body whose aim is to increase the state's community food security. In addition, CLF and CLFV are working with a fledgling commercial urban agriculture business called City Growers to develop a business plan for its expansion in the Boston area. Together, CLF and CLF Ventures bring their complementary expertise to bear, analyzing policy and market barriers to a regional food system, analyzing the job creation potential and environmental benefits of such businesses, as well as continuing our ongoing advocacy to create a better policy environment for agriculture.

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Already, as a part of our work to document the economic benefits of urban and regional agriculture, we have demonstrated the considerable benefits of even small-scale projects in Boston. A soon-to-be...