Northwest Arkansas Food Cluster Study

Food Cluster Study

In partnership with Karen Karp & Partners (KK&P), Mass Economics analyzed the food cluster and food supply chain in the four counties (Benton, Carroll, Madison, and Washington Counties) composing the Northwest Arkansas Region in order to identify opportunities for growth. To understand the current and historic composition of the region, Mass Economics compiled times-series socio-economic, demographic, workforce, economic (e.g. industry clusters and occupations), and agricultural data. Contextualized within national and peer region trends, Mass Economics assessed cluster, subcluster, industry, and occupational strengths and opportunities to support and grow the food cluster. These findings, combined with an analysis of agricultural data from the USDA (e.g. farm sizes, products, and sales), indicated a need to diversify the regional food economy beyond poultry and cattle production and processing. Higher value-added food manufacturing, food retail, and food services were recommended areas for growth in the region.