Mayor Michael Bloomberg ramps up efforts to support NYC's growing urban food cluster via set up new legislation, signed yesterday.
A new piece by Dr. Michael Porter's (Harvard Business School) organization - the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City - analyzes how four of NYC's new pieces of legislation will support the growing urban food cluster, and why this is so important for our cities.
The author writes: "The food cluster truly provides massive potential for job creation and local wealth. The cluster is comprised of 90% small businesses and 1.1 million workers. Local food production creates jobs in warehousing, distribution and other supply chain management. Restaurants, markets and urban farms provide jobs for local residents-jobs that often require modest formal education. In an era where our inner city residents are evermore in need of such jobs, the food cluster provides boundless opportunities."
The article also profiles a Chicago-based company called UrbanPonics, which is a start-up urban food producer seeking to simultaneously promote social justice by hiring underserved local residents.
Thanks to Amanda Maher
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