Columbia Basin Agriculture Innovation Project

(2018)

The Columbia Basin Trust (the Trust) retained Upland to undertake a feasibility study for this project. The project explored the potential for the creation of an agriculture innovation centre/food hub (agriculture innovation network) model to support economies of scale related to food processing, storage, transportation, and marketing/branding for producers in the Basin. The project included background research and stakeholder engagement to identify and assess model options including the physical components, operational aspects, and the programming/service delivery components, and to develop a business plan based on the needs identified in the feasibility study. The project identified potential partnership opportunities, implementation and operational costs, and financing options for a model in the Basin. The feasibility study and business plan will serve as a tool to guide decision making toward investing in food innovation in the Basin.

This project was completed with assistance from Farm Food Drink.