Agri-Food Impact Study

Agri-Food Impact Study

2022 Agri-Food Impact Study

The agri-food sector in Squamish is growing in both numbers and importance. As part of its Emerging Sector Roadmap and Action Plan, the District of Squamish identified this sector as part of its Green Economy theme, an emerging area of opportunity for strategic growth and investment.

Squamish Agri-Food Sector Businesses

 

In 2022, the District of Squamish unveiled an Agri-Food Impact Study, which is focused on this emerging sector and its impacts. The study measures the impacts of farms, ranches, fisheries, food and beverage processors, wholesalers, retailers, and food-related services on the Squamish economy and, more broadly B.C. while also assessing the sector’s social and environmental impacts. For this impact study, an online and phone-based survey was administered over the summer and fall of 2021, with 116 businesses responding.

Industry Snapshot

The study was focused on understanding the sector’s development, structure, impact, opportunities, and challenges. It provides a thorough overview of the industry composition, offers considerations and potential actions for industry growth, and builds on the Squamish Valley Agricultural Plan, the District’s Emerging Sector Roadmap and Action Plan and Circular Economy Roadmap

Key Findings

Taking doughnut economics into consideration, the findings from this research consider and further elaborate on the following thematic areas when developing a thriving agri-food sector in Squamish:

  •  Scaling businesses, cluster, and supply-chain development
  • Stewarding employment lands, land systems change, and local food systems
  • Talent attraction, retention and training
  • Adopting sustainability measures and climate change adaption and mitigation strategies

It is planned, that while the District and other supporting agri-food organizations are already engaged in initiatives to support these areas, this study will help serve in directing efforts to develop Squamish’s agri-foods economy.

The Squamish Chamber and Tourism Squamish acted as partners in the preparation of this impact study, which was funded in part by the Province of British Columbia.