TDC & Wallace Center Feature Innovative Local Food Enterprises from Around the World

December 8, 2008 - The Wallace Center at Winrock International, in partnership with the Training and Development Corporation (TDC), announced today a selection of twelve locally-owned food enterprises, based abroad, to be profiled as part of Community Food Enterprise: Local Success in a Global Marketplace. The project, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, is designed to highlight successful models of locally owned food enterprises from around the world. An additional ten U.S.-based enterprises were announced earlier this year. A list of 22 of the final 26 case studies can be found at www.wallacecenter.org/cfe.

"We’re excited to showcase these innovative enterprises as part of Community Food Enterprise," said John Fisk, Director of the Wallace Center at Winrock International. "These international enterprises are part of an important trend in development, one that emphasizes the power of social enterprises. They have the potential to combine market forces with sustainable social practices to address food access, food security and farmer livelihood in the developing world."

Each enterprise profile will include a review of its ownership model, business and financial practices, and a variety of social, environmental and economic sustainability indicators. These detailed case studies will be published as a book, and an accompanying multimedia website will feature additional interviews, data, imagery, and analysis—eventually becoming the springboard for a dynamic online database and community of local food enterprises from around the world.

The project is also producing a series of podcasts, the first of which features project author and co-director Michael Shuman, Vice President for Enterprise Development at the Training & Development Corporation, discussing the study’s selection criteria and research methodology. The ongoing series will also share the stories of several of the chosen enterprises.

A growing body of literature highlights the importance of local ownership for lasting economic development in the U.S. and abroad. Compared to non-local businesses, locally-owned enterprises produce more community wealth by spending more money at home, build stability by staying put for the long term, contribute to rising labor and environmental standards by adapting to new expectations more readily, and foster greater community resilience by reinforcing political participation and entrepreneurship. Community Food Enterprise will be a key tool in helping practitioners around the world build and strengthen local food enterprises.

"These enterprises showcase replicable models of local and community ownership in the developing world, from sole proprietorships to smallholder cooperatives, from public-private partnerships to public corporations," said Shuman. "At the heart of our assessment is an examination of what it takes to create and sustain viable locally owned food enterprises at a range of sizes, scales and points on the food supply chain."

Continuing, he notes, "Our examples from Africa, Asia, Latin America and beyond focus on the key ingredients for long-term success including effective financial management, creative self-financing, fair and empowering workplaces, positive environmental and community development practices, dedication to social entrepreneurship, and determined, inspired enterprise leadership."

Chosen enteprises include:

For the full press release, see here.

Click here for more information about the Community Food Enterprise project, the Wallace Center and the Training & Development Corporation.