Presentation Type

Presentation

Faculty Mentor’s Full Name

Eva Rocke

Faculty Mentor’s Department

Sustainability Coordinator

Abstract / Artist's Statement

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, pre-existing sustainability issues have not come out unscathed and in many cases have been exacerbated by the public health crisis. The pandemic has already greatly impacted communities around the world, an example of such effects can be observed through the implications on western Montana’s food systems. Given this information, our Franke Global Leadership Initiative: Natural Resources & Sustainability group developed a research question to explore the network of our food systems further. We asked: during the COVID-19 pandemic, where are Missoula food systems failing to be resilient and sustainable in the way that they serve the Missoula community and what local approaches can best address those weaknesses? We surveyed and interviewed a total of 54 Montanans involved in the local food system. Our survey pool consisted of local Missoula farmers, ranchers, producers, and those in food system leadership roles. We found that an overarching majority of respondents experienced significant changes to their operations.

Category

Franke Global Leadership Initiative

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COVID-19’s Impact on Western Montana’s Food System Resiliency

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, pre-existing sustainability issues have not come out unscathed and in many cases have been exacerbated by the public health crisis. The pandemic has already greatly impacted communities around the world, an example of such effects can be observed through the implications on western Montana’s food systems. Given this information, our Franke Global Leadership Initiative: Natural Resources & Sustainability group developed a research question to explore the network of our food systems further. We asked: during the COVID-19 pandemic, where are Missoula food systems failing to be resilient and sustainable in the way that they serve the Missoula community and what local approaches can best address those weaknesses? We surveyed and interviewed a total of 54 Montanans involved in the local food system. Our survey pool consisted of local Missoula farmers, ranchers, producers, and those in food system leadership roles. We found that an overarching majority of respondents experienced significant changes to their operations.