Econsult Solutions, Inc. (ESI) has teamed up with Urbane Development, LLC, and the Detroit Food and Fitness Collaborative (DFFC) to release an economic analysis of the city of Detriot’s food system.
The study sought to assess the current state of Detroit’s food economy, highlight the opportunities and challenges shareholders face with the city’s food sector and develop a strategic approach to cultivating a food system for all residents.
With input from ESI senior advisors Gregory Heller and Catherine Timko, the study determined:
- The Detroit Food System produces $3.6 billion in revenue and directly employs over 36,000 people earning close to $1 billion in salaries and wages per year in the city of Detroit.
- Including Wayne, Macomb and Oakland counties, the food system in the Detroit Metro area is responsible for about $45.8 billion in economic impact, supporting about 59,000 jobs and about 1.9 billion in wages and earnings per year.
- The Detroit food system pays less, provides fewer jobs and garners less revenue than comparable regional food systems throughout the country.
- With a 30% localization shift, the food system would become the second largest industry in Detroit’s economy, represent $5.4 billion in annual revenues, directly employ over 52,000 people and represent 1.3 billion in annual wages and salaries.
The study also lists numerous recommendations for Detroit to consider when changing the way its food system operates.
You can access the full report here.
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