Accelerating Growth in Local Food Value Chains

Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture focuses on establishing sustainable and equitable local food supply chains

Dr. Rouzbeh Nazari, chair and professor of the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, along with Dr. Maryam Karimi, director of Research and associate professor at the School of Public Health, have been awarded a $963,237 project by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to support an urban agriculture initiative aimed at enhancing community food access and strengthening the urban agriculture landscape.

Selected from over 150 applications, this project will catalyze local food value chain development through cross-functional alliances and economic investment. Under Nazari's leadership as chair of the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering and Karimi’s expertise in public health research, the research team aims to establish a sustainable and equitable local food supply chain by identifying community needs, assessing urban agriculture markets, and locating potential agricultural sites. The project also seeks to foster policy development, economic opportunities, and sustainability through a collaborative and data-driven approach.

“This project provides an invaluable opportunity to build research collaborations and strengthen community relationships,” says Nazari. “Through a network of partnerships, we can collectively improve food access, enhance policy implementation, and create economic opportunities while achieving sustainability goals.”

The project encompasses five research-centered and five community-focused initiatives. Research activities will involve leveraging data to identify target neighborhoods and stakeholders, analyzing and validating sites for urban agriculture, and utilizing drone and satellite imagery for precise food system assessments. Community-focused efforts will strengthen social networks, form an alliance among agricultural leaders, build connections in underserved neighborhoods, provide education and outreach, and revise food-related policies to support sustainable and equitable urban agriculture practices.

These efforts aim to drive behavioral change, enhance competitiveness, and foster wealth creation for farmers, producers, and related organizations. And, the project seeks to create a sustainable and resilient local food system that benefits the broader community by establishing a unified alliance and promoting collaboration within the local food value chain.

For more information, contact Nazari at rnazari@memphis.edu.