A key component of Gov. Gina M. Raimondo's blueprint for state economic development efforts is the need to identify the state's "advanced industries and innovators for growth." Rhode Island's reputation among the nation's "foodies" is sterling, leading the administration to point to the food sector as one of those the state should support.
But there is a big difference between being a place to have a great meal and being a place that creates the building blocks for great meals elsewhere. For instance, while a recent study estimates that food sector employment totaled 65,000 in 2013, 80 percent of those jobs were in retail distribution, including restaurants and supermarkets. According to Farm Fresh RI, there are roughly 300 companies creating consumable products, but few of them are what one could consider enterprise-level operations.
As the governor and her staff look at which industry sectors the state should make investments in or for, it is important that they are clear-sighted on which ones have true competitive advantages and which ones just make us feel good. •