Food Innovation Districts

Food Innovation Districts (FIDs) are a land use concept based on the economic benefits of business clusters, which arise when related businesses locate in close proximity to each other.  FIDs often include services such as markets, food business incubators, and facilities for common storage, packing, and distribution needs. By encouraging business collaboration, they provide important opportunities for product aggregation, information sharing, and partnering on events and market promotion. These districts also provide fertile ground for regional food hubs to grow, and for related food and farm ventures and market channels to emerge.

Funded by the USDA-Rural Development, the Northwest Michigan Council of Governments and the MSU Center for Regional Food Systems created a Planning and Economic Development Toolkit that communities statewide can use to establish and encourage FIDs.

Project partners included project consultant Regional Food Solutions LLC and MSU practicum students. Additional support from the Advisory Committee oversaw the development of the FID Planning Toolkit.