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Rhode Island is known for its agriculture, food, and premier eateries. Our local food sector is often cited as an area of economic strength ripe for growth. It supports more than 60,000 jobs and feeds tourism and quality of life. And in 2016, our delicious local food and eateries catapulted Rhode Island to the top 52 places in the world to visit, according to The New York Times. Rhode Island is a ‘foodie’ paradise, and food is an integral part of our social fabric.
Our State Food Strategy: “Relish Rhody"
In 2016, concerted efforts were made under former Governor Gina Raimondo's leadership to establish a statewide food strategy and hire the state’s first ever Director of Food Strategy to lead the initiative. By 2017 a five-year plan was launched charting a path for a more resilient, sustainable and equitable local food system. The State Food Strategy Relish Rhody set bold goals to:
- grow RI’s local food economy
- preserve and grow agriculture and seafood industries
- enhance the climate for food businesses
- minimize and divert wasted food
- to ensure access to healthy and culturally relevant foods for all Rhode Islanders, particularly RI’s most underserved and vulnerable populations.
Significant progress has been made towards these objectives, however, there has been considerable change to the food system landscape since 2017. As we emerge from the pandemic, there are important lessons to learn about building more resilient supply chains and supporting more equitable access to local and healthy foods across Rhode Island. There is shared interest among state government, non-profit and industry stakeholders who rely on Relish Rhody to assess what has been accomplished in the last five years and to develop a roadmap for the next phase of collective impact setting goals out to 2030.
Renewing RI’s Food Vision for 2030
The Director of Food Strategy in partnership with leaders from RI Commerce, RI DEM and RIDOH will lead the effort to renew and reimagine our state food strategy, a process we are calling Relish Rhody 2.0. We will be engaging with food system stakeholders across the supply chain to better understand where have we made progress since the Relish Rhody 2017 Food Strategy was released and where have we fallen short? Where are the areas for greatest opportunity to build a more resilient, sustainable and equitable food system for all Rhode Islanders?
Our Food Scene
Rhode Island is known for its agriculture, food, and premier eateries. Our local food sector is often cited as an area of economic strength ripe for growth. It supports more than 60,000 jobs and feeds tourism and quality of life. And in 2016, our delicious local food and eateries catapulted Rhode Island to the top 52 places in the world to visit, according to The New York Times. Rhode Island is a ‘foodie’ paradise, and food is an integral part of our social fabric.
Food-System Planning & Innovation
We are also leading the nation in food-system planning and innovation – spurred on by a growing demand for fresh, locally grown food among consumers. Unlike elsewhere nationally, the number of farms in Rhode Island is on the rise, and the state boasts a thriving young farmer network.
We top the rankings in the percent of our farms owned by beginning farmers and those selling directly to consumers. And our abundant and diverse commercial fisheries are feeding the world. In 2021, the total value of seafood landed in Rhode Island was close to $103.3 million.
Please contact Julianne Stelmaszyk Director of Food Strategy for any questions.
Julianne Stelmaszyk, RI Director of Food Strategy
Rhode Island Commerce Corporation
315 Iron Horse Way, Suite 101
Providence, RI 02908-5767
Phone: 401-278-9159
Julianne.Stelmaszyk@
The Relish Rhody Food Strategy is supported by the following collaborative partners:
