COVID-19 and Farmers' Markets
Author: Claire R. Londagin
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted both global and local food value chains in 2020. Farmers around the world have faced barriers to accessing markets, such as border closures, restrictions on travel, trade restrictions, and restaurant and institutional closures.1 Simultaneously, millions of people globally lost their jobs, and many employed are still at risk of losing their livelihoods, leading to reduced food security. Due to income losses alone, the UN World Food Programme projects that an additional 130 million people could become acutely food insecure by the end of 2020, in addition to the 135 million that faced food insecurity before the pandemic began.2 In Oregon, both market opportunities for small farms and food access points for consumers were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Farmers' Markets Improve Food Access and Health Equity
Micronutrient deficiencies are common in the US population.
The average American does not meet the recommended daily intake of fruits and vegetables3
Calorie dense foods with little micronutrient significance comprise around 27% of daily calorie intake4 .
Dietary patterns in the US contribute to chronic and diet related disease, including the leading cause of death in the US, coronary heart disease5.
Farmers' markets have been identified as an environment-related public health intervention, to improve health outcomes related to diet, in particular to increase fruit and vegetable consumption6.
The USDA reports that families with access to farmers' markets increased fruit and vegetable consumption on average by 1.4 servings per day, compared to families without access to a farmers market.
Farmers' markets have also been shown to be meaningful access points for fresh food for low income communities, and “when scaled up... can reduce food [access] and health disparities.” 7 8
75% of Oregon Farmers' Markets Accept SNAP Benefits
Oregon has high rates of food insecurity, especially in rural counties. 9.8% of all households in the state faced food insecurity between 2017 and 2019 9.
1 in 7 people in the state receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits (SNAP) 10
53% of SNAP participants in the state are families with children 10.
While no official links between SNAP participation and the COVID-19 pandemic have yet been reported, rates of participation increased across all counties in Oregon when comparing data from 2019 to 2020 11, demonstrating more food insecurity among the state's population.
In Oregon, 60 out of 80 farmers' markets report accepting SNAP benefits12.
Nationally, in 2017, $24.4 million SNAP dollars were spent at farmers' markets13.
While the vast majority of SNAP dollars were spent at big box retailers and supermarkets 14, the SNAP dollars spent at farmers' markets are more likely to remain in the local economy15. See more about Chain Stores on a companion student page.
Improving Accessibility
Additional programs work to improve access to farmers' markets, such as Double Up Food Bucks a program where SNAP dollars are doubled up to $10 at farmers' markets. 28 states participate in Double Up Food Bucks 16, and many states have additional and alternative matching programs available. 40 out of 80 Oregon farmers' markets report offering Double Up Food Bucks.12
Small farmers rely on local markets in order to sell their products and keep their farms afloat.
Farmers' markets are also vital to the viability of small farms. In line with national statistics, around 90% of farms in Oregon are small farms. Of that, 68% are noncommercial farms 17.
Small farms contribute to healthy ecosystems and communities.
Industrialized farming systems have increased total calorie output and are driven by "specification, simplification, mechanization, and standardization."24 Large scale food production has increased efficiencies, but misses the nuance in ecosystems that allow for sustained food production.
While small does not equal perfect management practices, it does mean less water and air pollution from animal waste, increased likelihood that there is increased biodiversity on farms that produce food for human consumption 25, and improved environmental health outcomes from those of industrial farming operations. Small farms contribute to healthy ecosystems and healthy rural communities.
Although there are many more small farm businesses than large scale ones, small farms' share of total national agricultural production is only 21% 19. By acreage, Oregon's small farms make up 10.5% of all small farms in the US9, 20. Market opportunities for small farms are different than those of large scale operations.
Direct to Consumer Markets
Direct to consumer markets, also referred to as DTC, help farmers by taking out the middle-man and allowing the producer to get the highest share of the food dollar from retail level pricing. Examples are Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), farmers' markets, and farm stands.
Wholesale Markets
Examples of wholesale markets are restaurants, grocery stores, and institutions such as schools, hospitals, or prisons. Farmers have to sell products at a wholesale price and the retailer increases the price to the consumer.
Distributors or Intermediaries
Distributors and intermediaries connect farms with wholesale, markets. While working with a distributor can open up new market opportunities for small farmers, distributors are businesses too and require a fee for their service. In this market option, farmers get the smallest share of the food dollar.
In a special report to congress, researchers found that 7.8% of all US farms were marketing foods locally and "[o]f these farms 70% used only Direct to Consumer marketing channels.”21 Direct markets are essential to small scale producers, who do not benefit from economies of scale and must spend more time and money per product unit than larger scale farms.
These direct marketing opportunities have grown over the last 25 years. The national count of farmers' markets increased by 364% between 1994 and 2013 22, and has remained relatively stable since then, with 8140 markets operating in 2019 23. There are over 80 farmers' markets currently registered with the Oregon Farmers' Market Association 12.
COVID-19 Regulations and Farmers' Markets in 2020
Due in part to the lack of federal direction, COVID-19 has impacted farmers' markets throughout the country in different ways. In March 2020, many state level shelter in place orders and business closure mandates lumped farmers' markets with public events like parades, requiring farmers' markets to close or preventing them from opening 32. Some state mandates were unclear if farmers markets were essential businesses and shared had status of grocery stores, resulting in permits to operate farmers markets being revoked by local health authorities 26.In many states, farmers' markets fell between the regulatory cracks, as they are not businesses or buildings and while they are public events, they provide essential services that concerts, parades, and races do not. As states, municipalities and markets scrambled to establish safety protocols and manage new logistics, some markets cancelled their seasons completely. At least 4 out of the 80 markets in Oregon cancelled their seasons 27 28 and a preliminary google search reveals dozens of cancelled markets across the country.
Rural and small markets especially may not have the infrastructure and people to rope off markets, provide hand sanitizer, monitor the amount of people at the market, enforce social distancing and mask wearing, or have the space required to space vendors out at safe distances. Despite the real burden of additional logistics and expenditures on individuals with limited resources, cancelling markets is undoubtedly harmful to both small scale food producers and consumers.
While effective vaccines will soon be available in the US, it is likely that precautious such as maintaining a distance from others and wearing masks will remain necessary throughout 2021. As daily COVID-19 case counts reach all time highs at the end of 2020, preparing ahead during this ongoing public health crisis is necessary. Many guidelines for farmers' markets operations during COVID-19 have been developed 29 30 31, but federal and state wide guidance regarding classification of farmers' markets as essential food retail businesses and offering operations guidance at the state level would support vulnerable consumers and small scale farmers alike. Removing the gray area from the way farmers' markets are classified will prevent another season of lost market days, and open the opportunity for additional structural support.
References
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4 Drake, Victoria J, and Balz Frei. “Micronutrient Inadequacies in the US Population: an Overview.” Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University, Nov. 2020, lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/micronutrient-inadequacies/overview.
5 “FastStats - Deaths and Mortality.” National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Nov. 2020, www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/deaths.htm.
6 Freedman, Darcy A., et al. “Systematic Review of Factors Influencing Farmers’ Market Use Overall and among Low-Income Populations.” Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, vol. 116, no. 7, 2016, pp. 1136–1155., doi:10.1016/j.jand.2016.02.010.
7 Gary-Webb, Tiffany L., et al. “Evaluation of a Mobile Farmer's Market Aimed at Increasing Fruit and Vegetable Consumption in Food Deserts: A Pilot Study to Determine Evaluation Feasibility.” Health Equity, vol. 2, no. 1, 2018, pp. 375–383., doi:10.1089/heq.2018.0003.
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10 Nchako, Catlin, and Lexin Cai. A Closer Look at Who Benefits from SNAP: State-by-State Fact Sheets. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Mar. 2020, www.cbpp.org/research/food-assistance/a-closer-look-at-who-benefits-from-snap-state-by-state-fact-sheets.
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