Insider’s Briefing
with Michael Shuman

This invitation-only “insider’s briefing” will begin with economist and food system activist Michael Shuman revealing the long-awaited results of the first phase of the Food Localization Study on the potential economic impacts of increased food localization in Colorado. A key purpose of this study is to provide economic perspective and data that will help justify significantly increased investments in local food and farming enterprises, especially in infrastructure redevelopment.

 

With a particular focus on Boulder County, Shuman will discuss challenges and opportunities for localization within our local foodshed (the local food system), and the case for local food systems development throughout Colorado. The invitation-only briefing is designed for decision-makers, consultants, executives, entrepreneurs, policy-makers, legislators, investors, investment advisors, the media, and officials of local, county, and state government.

Colorado citizens currently spend $12 billion per year on food, 97% of which is imported from outside the state. In Boulder County alone, food expenditures total $947 million per year. From limited available data, we estimate that less than two percent of food consumed here is produced within the county. Thus, as Shuman will demonstrate, local food systems represent enormous investment and economic development opportunities.

 

Besides projecting the potential economic impacts of food localization, Transition Colorado is coordinating the development of a comprehensive strategic plan for actually achieving, on average, 25 percent food localization in Boulder County by 2020. We anticipate that the strategic plan for food localization will be published in the Spring of 2012.

 

The briefing will provide an intimate setting for questions and conversation with Shuman about the study’s current finds and future direction. The event will be followed by Shuman’s public presentation at 7:30 p.m.

 

To request an invitation, email michael@TransitionColorado.org.

With	Michael Shuman Michael H. Shuman is Director for Research and Economic Development for the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE). An economist, attorney, author, and entrepreneur, Shuman is one of the nation’s leading experts on community economics and the advantages of small-scale businesses in an era of globalization. He has authored, coauthored, or edited seven books, including The Small Mart Revolution: How Local Businesses Are Beating the Global Competition (Berrett-Koehler, 2006) and Going Local: Creating Self-Reliant Communities in the Global Age (Free Press, 1998). He is currently completing three local-economy research projects for the McCune Foundation (on localizing New Mexico’s food system), for the Kellogg Foundation (on business subsidies), and for the Gates Foundation (on local food business models). A prolific speaker, Shuman has given an average of more than one invited talk per week, mostly to local governments and universities, for the past 25 years. He has lectured in 45 states and eight countries.
Contact	Michael Brownlee michael@transitioncolorado.org 303-546-9151 http://transitioncolorado.org
Hosted by	Localization Partners LLC
When	Wednesday, August 31, 04:30 PM
Where	Millennium Harvest House 1345 28th Street Boulder
Price	$10.00 (by invitation only)
Registration