Value Chains Project Making a Difference

The Value Chains Partnerships for a Sustainable Agriculture (VCPSA) is a network of partners formed to satisfy market demand for particular foods or fiber products.

The partnership announced in May 2005 that the project has experienced several key accomplishments during the past year toward achieving its objectives. Those accomplishments include: (1) Developed and established the BioEconomy and Regional Food Systems working groups, which together involve more than 40 Iowa-based businesses, institutions, and organizations; (2) Awarded 10 new Regional Food systems grants to members of the Regional Food Systems Working group and six new grants to members of the BioEconomy Working Group; (3) Met with Iowa State University deans and faculty champions of the VCPSA project to create project awareness, to discuss the VCPSA project and to determine how to more effectively engage other deans and faculty; (4) Recruited a second student to take part in the new MBA with a minor in Sustainable Agriculture program; (5) Hosted the semi-annual Kellogg Higher Education Community Partnership network meeting in October 2004.

The VCPSA project is supported by a W.K. Kellogg Foundation Food and Society initiative grant. Its strategies involve engaging Iowa State University and its public and private partners in providing the producers, processors, distributors, and retailers of highly differentiated value chains with the tools they need to support existing or develop new value chains. For more information on the VCPSA project or to read more about project activities and accomplishments, visit www.valuechains.org.