COVID-19
food supply research and resources
Colorado State University’s Food Systems Initiative is committed to promoting the health and wellness of our population, especially vulnerable populations, and to limit negative impacts of economic and food supply chain disruptions resulting from COVID-19.
This website compiles important information to support our Colorado food system stakeholders, as well as presents visual displays of data and synthesis of rapid-response research and white papers that we hope are useful to all making decisions about food systems activities during this difficult time.
Before COVID-19, on average American households spent:
0
%
of their total household food expenditure on food away from home (for example, at restaurants)
<
0
%
of their total household budget on food
$
0
Trillion
on food. This also includes spending by businesses and government entities.
Data source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service https://www.ers.usda.
Blake Naughton, Vice President for Engagement and Extension, established The CSU Task Force on Colorado Food Supply to provide data-driven analysis to support the Commissioner of Agriculture, the Governor, and the Colorado Legislature in their response to food supply chain issues related to COVID-19. The Task Force is working to conduct research and gather information in several key areas:
- Food access/security – With unemployment growing, and the usual places many low income households get access to free food (schools), what amount of funding support is needed to ensure these households have access to a healthy and adequate amount of food?
- Designating food retail establishments as ‘essential services’ – the Governor signed this order declaring a number of industries and occupations as ‘essential services’. We are working to understand the childcare, health, farm/ranch, and other implications of this order.
- Food supply chain workforce readiness – workforce needs in the food supply chain are shifting. This work describes the sectors that are losing employment and those that are growing, and how we might support emergency job training.
- Consumer expenditure and farm market access – Social distancing has changed the way in which U.S. households procure food. For example, we have seen a large shift from food away from home to food at home expenditures. How consumers spend their dollars has important impacts on farm/ranch access to markets. This work looks at how consumer spending has shifted and discusses implications for producers’ access to markets.
Resources
Colorado Farm & Food Systems Respond and Rebuild Fund: https://cofoodsystems.org/
National Farm to School Network COVID Relief Fund: http://www.farmtoschool.org/covid19#fund
Small business and nonprofit relief funds:
Small Business and Non-profit Relief Funding Resources
COVID-19 Philanthropic Response and Recovery Funds: Food & Agriculture System: https://www.safsf.org/resources/covid19-funds/
Colorado COVID relief fund: https://covrn.com/covid-relief-fund/
Farmers Emergency Fund: https://www.30000acres.org/farmers-fund/
National Farm to School Network COVID Relief Fund: http://www.farmtoschool.org/covid19#fund
Small business and nonprofit relief funds:
Small Business and Non-profit Relief Funding Resources
COVID-19 Philanthropic Response and Recovery Funds: Food & Agriculture System: https://www.safsf.org/resources/covid19-funds/
Colorado COVID relief fund: https://covrn.com/covid-relief-fund/
Farmers Emergency Fund: https://www.30000acres.org/farmers-fund/
Guidance for the Agriculture Industry:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/16nea9zKdd66FGIcvefY4hewB8HVBKVI_/view
Helping Farmers Navigate the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program Webinar: https://youtu.be/F41vryJPBeU
Corona Virus Food Assistance: https://youtu.be/NmFjUPlYf3g
Free online course: How to start selling online in 5 days: https://www.alderspring.com/grassrootstartup/shipping-in-five-days/
Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), What Farmers Need to know: https://sustainableagriculture.net/blog/covid-cfap-signup/
USDA Fact Sheet for organic farmers: https://mosesorganic.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/USDA_COVID-19_Response_Organic6.pdf
Coronavirus Food Assistance Program: https://www.farmers.gov/cfap
Farmers guide to direct sales software platforms: https://www.youngfarmers.org/Farmers-Guide-to-Direct-Sales-Software-Platforms.pdf
Force Majeure Clauses: What are they and do they apply in issues caused by COVID19? http://agrisk.umd.edu/blog/force-majeure-clauses-what-are-they-and-do-they-apply-in-issues-caused-by-covid19
USDA FSA COVID-19 resources: https://www.farmers.gov/coronavirus
COVID-19 Business Resource Center: https://choosecolorado.com/covid19/
SBA’s Payroll Protection Program: https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/coronavirus-relief-options/paycheck-protection-program-ppp
The food law initiative’s COVID-19 legal support project: https://law.pace.edu/pace-nrdc-food-law-initiative
Coronavirus and farmworker health: http://www.ncfh.org/covid-19.html
Podcast channel on what farms need to do to manage the many legal ramifications of COVID-19: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/farm-commons/id1022476437
Produce safety and business risk management resources: http://freshproduce.colostate.edu/covid-19-resources-and-information/
The Colorado Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association: https://coloradoproduce.org/covid-19/
The Colorado Department of Agriculture: https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/agmain/COVID19
National Young Farmers Coalition: https://www.youngfarmers.org/young-farmers-covid-19-response/
Helping Farmers Navigate the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program Webinar: https://youtu.be/F41vryJPBeU
Corona Virus Food Assistance: https://youtu.be/NmFjUPlYf3g
Free online course: How to start selling online in 5 days: https://www.alderspring.com/grassrootstartup/shipping-in-five-days/
Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), What Farmers Need to know: https://sustainableagriculture.net/blog/covid-cfap-signup/
USDA Fact Sheet for organic farmers: https://mosesorganic.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/USDA_COVID-19_Response_Organic6.pdf
Coronavirus Food Assistance Program: https://www.farmers.gov/cfap
Farmers guide to direct sales software platforms: https://www.youngfarmers.org/Farmers-Guide-to-Direct-Sales-Software-Platforms.pdf
Force Majeure Clauses: What are they and do they apply in issues caused by COVID19? http://agrisk.umd.edu/blog/force-majeure-clauses-what-are-they-and-do-they-apply-in-issues-caused-by-covid19
USDA FSA COVID-19 resources: https://www.farmers.gov/coronavirus
COVID-19 Business Resource Center: https://choosecolorado.com/covid19/
SBA’s Payroll Protection Program: https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/coronavirus-relief-options/paycheck-protection-program-ppp
The food law initiative’s COVID-19 legal support project: https://law.pace.edu/pace-nrdc-food-law-initiative
Coronavirus and farmworker health: http://www.ncfh.org/covid-19.html
Podcast channel on what farms need to do to manage the many legal ramifications of COVID-19: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/farm-commons/id1022476437
Produce safety and business risk management resources: http://freshproduce.colostate.edu/covid-19-resources-and-information/
The Colorado Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association: https://coloradoproduce.org/covid-19/
The Colorado Department of Agriculture: https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/agmain/COVID19
National Young Farmers Coalition: https://www.youngfarmers.org/young-farmers-covid-19-response/
Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger COVID-response resources:
https://www.endhungerco.org/covidresponse-resources
Regional statewide meal map: Link
Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger’s COVID-19 Hunger Relief Fund: https://www.endhungerco.org/colorado-covid-hunger-relief-fund
Colorado Department of Education’s List of COVID-19 Meal Sites: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/publish?EQBCT=eaae70d787a643b59359fe09e99b88d1
Regional statewide meal map: Link
Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger’s COVID-19 Hunger Relief Fund: https://www.endhungerco.org/colorado-covid-hunger-relief-fund
Colorado Department of Education’s List of COVID-19 Meal Sites: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/publish?EQBCT=eaae70d787a643b59359fe09e99b88d1
Business strategies for small meat processors:
https://onlinexperiences.com/
Webinar 3/31/20, The Economic Impact of COVID-19 on U.S. Food Manufacturers: https://youtu.be/cuXn79CWodU
Download Webinar Slides
Emergency prevention measures to achieve physical distancing in food manufacturing facilities: https://www.meatinstitute.org/ht/a/GetDocumentAction/i/166789
Cornell University Institute for Food Safety: https://instituteforfoodsafety.cornell.edu/coronavirus-covid-19/food-industry-resources/
Webinar 3/31/20, The Economic Impact of COVID-19 on U.S. Food Manufacturers: https://youtu.be/cuXn79CWodU
Download Webinar Slides
Emergency prevention measures to achieve physical distancing in food manufacturing facilities: https://www.meatinstitute.org/ht/a/GetDocumentAction/i/166789
Cornell University Institute for Food Safety: https://instituteforfoodsafety.cornell.edu/coronavirus-covid-19/food-industry-resources/
COVID Federal Rural Resource guide
Agriculture Critical Industry Designation COVID-19 letter
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition’s blog on a look at farmer relief in the senate pandemic package: https://sustainableagriculture.net/blog/closer-look-farmer-relief-senate-pandemic-package/
Municipal COVID-19 Food Access Policies: https://healthyfoodpolicyproject.org/
Agriculture Critical Industry Designation COVID-19 letter
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition’s blog on a look at farmer relief in the senate pandemic package: https://sustainableagriculture.net/blog/closer-look-farmer-relief-senate-pandemic-package/
Municipal COVID-19 Food Access Policies: https://healthyfoodpolicyproject.org/
Colorado Food Systems Resources and Information:
Connecting-and-supporting-CO-supply-chains.pdf
Weekly Food and Farm Policy Overview: https://cofoodsystems.org/covid-policy-updates/
CO Farmers Market Association Recommendations and Toolkit for Farmers Markets:
CFMA-market-recommendations-and-toolkit-v2.docx
COVID-19 Response and Recovery Funds: http://www.safsf.org/resources/covid19-funds/
COVID-19 Resources for Farm to School and ECE:
http://www.farmtoschool.org/resources-main/covid-19-resources-for-farm-to-school-and-ece
Food Systems Leadership Network COVID-19 Response Group: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WXXHLZY
Weekly Food and Farm Policy Overview: https://cofoodsystems.org/covid-policy-updates/
CO Farmers Market Association Recommendations and Toolkit for Farmers Markets:
CFMA-market-recommendations-and-toolkit-v2.docx
COVID-19 Response and Recovery Funds: http://www.safsf.org/resources/covid19-funds/
COVID-19 Resources for Farm to School and ECE:
http://www.farmtoschool.org/resources-main/covid-19-resources-for-farm-to-school-and-ece
Food Systems Leadership Network COVID-19 Response Group: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WXXHLZY
Policy Briefs
DATA
The Labor Force Risk tool provides information about the number of at-risk workers and the average at-risk worker weekly earnings, by county. ‘At-risk’ workers are defined by their designation as ‘essential industries’ or ‘critical businesses’.
A collaboration with Yale University, the child care needs tool provides information about child care needs – by age – to industries or occupations deemed ‘essential’ or ‘critical’ based on Governors’ orders.
The Colorado Food Systems map aggregates relevant food systems indicators and makes them available to all stakeholders. We are working to incorporate relevant COVID-19 food systems indicators as available.
Local Food Systems Response to COVID
Resource Hub, Webinars, Innovations Briefs, Impact Assessments
