February 11, 2008 - The Wallace Center at Winrock International and the Training & Development Corporation launched today a new initiative entitled Community Food Enterprise: Local Success in a Global Marketplace. The initiative, which will showcase locally-owned food enterprises from around the globe, is a joint funding venture of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, only their second jointly-funded initiative.

Leading the effort to document successful strategies for small- and medium-scale community-based enterprises are John Fisk, director of the Wallace Center, and Michael Shuman, author and vice president for enterprise development at TDC.

The project builds on evidence worldwide that local ownership is a fundamental building block for long-term prosperity—and that market shifts in favor of local food offer small farmers and other entrepreneurs a promising new path to economic security.

Project highlights include a practitioner’s guide featuring 24 case studies of successful locally-owned food enterprises, as well as an online resource center for community development through locally owned food enterprises. A DC-area launch event is also scheduled for Fall 2008.

For more information, see the the full press release or visit the initiative's website for ongoing updates, sneak peaks and to register for updates.