Farmers Markets and Seafood: Where Is It Feasible?

Abstract

National-level empirical research can inform how policy can effectively support direct seafood markets. The US Department of Agriculture maintains a directory of farmers markets that has not been extensively used in direct seafood marketing research. I use this directory data to estimate the probability that farmers markets near commercial fishing ports in the United States offer seafood. The results provide insight into two policy-relevant constraints on direct marketing: (1) geographic limits to seafood sales at farmers markets and (2) accessibility challenges for low-income populations. I find that seafood sales at farmers markets are concentrated within 50 miles of commercial fishing ports and that lower-income people are less likely to have access to seafood at farmers markets. I discuss advances made in collecting data from direct marketing farmers and the potential value in collecting analogous data from direct marketing fishers.