Anchor Institutions and Food Resilience: A Multiple Streams Approach

Abstract

Anchor institutions (AIs) play an essential role in food system resilience. We utilize Kingdon’s multiple streams approach (MSA) to analyze AIs’ food system resilience activities in Vermont. Drawing on a series of focus groups to understand activities to foster food system resilience. Local food supply chains can be a source of resilience; barriers such as labor and infrastructure shortages can be overcome through greater use of local food processing and distribution. The MSA lens suggests that Covid-19 can serve as a focusing event, incentivizing investment and leveraging the national mood for greater consumption and support for local food.