food policy councils 101
DESCRIPTION
This PolicyLink presentation goes over the basics of food policy councils: what they are, how they function, what they're good at, and what's challenging for them.TRANSCRIPT
LINDSEY DAY FARNSWORTH UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN – [email protected]
COMMUNITY & REGIONAL FOOD SYSTEMS PROJECTWWW.COMMUNITY-FOOD.ORG
UW CENTER FOR INTEGRATED AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMSWWW.CIAS.WISC.EDU
Food Policy Councils 101Structures and strategies for building healthy food systems
PolicyLink WebinarMarch 20, 2013
CRFS Project Overview• Five year project funded by USDA-NIFA
(National Institute of Food and Agriculture)
• Central research question:
What are the characteristics and functions of a healthy community and regional food system and how do they contribute to increased community food security?
www.community-food.org
Production: Urban and peri-urban agricultureDistribution: Corner store conversions, institutional purchasing policiesConsumption: Healthy grocery store initiatives, Local marketing projectsDisposal: composting projects
• Research, education, outreach, and advocacy
Education• PEOPLE program
• College internships
• Graduate practicums
Outreach Research
www.community-food.org
• Growing PowerWorkshops and trainings
• University Extension Peer network
Train-the-trainer curriculum
Project evaluation and community assessment
• Characterize complex urban food systems
• Community-based participatory research
UW-Madison Community & Regional Food Systems Project Framework
Source: UW-Madison Community and Regional Food Systems Project V.4 working draftwww.community-food.org
Why food policy councils? Food policy councils have the potential to:
• Help build community and regional food systems that are accountable to all by being healthy, affordable, fair and sustainable
• Create opportunities for residents and community-based organizations to influence food policy
• Increase coordination across agencies and organizations that influence policy on food production, accessibility, affordability, and quality • Foster new relationships• Align policies & departments• Bring a systems view to complex issues
Influencing municipal food policy and regulationPOLICY Land use
controlsEconomic development incentives
Licensing & regulation
Programs & services
COMPONENT
Production Urban Agriculture ordinances
Local food procurement policies
Permit on-site produce sales at market gardens
Vegetable gardening classes & resources
Processing Industrial retention via zoning & comprehensive planning
Agricultural processing renaissance zones
Promote laws permitting limited sales of home-processed foods
Provide cooking & food preservation classes
Distribution Flexible zoning for grocery stores in under-served areas
USDA “geographic preference” option increases local food in schools
Grocery store attraction incentives
Establish farmers’ markets on city-owned land
Consumption Long-term leases for community gardens
CDBG funding to increase produce at corners stores
Streamline licensing requirements for farm markets & produce carts
EBT machines for WIC/SNAP at farmers’ markets
Resources & Waste Management
Align state/municipal composting land use regulations
Mandatory recycling and composting
Separate ag and solid waste regs/ permitting requirements
Municipal household composting program
What is a food policy council?Food Policy Councils (FPCs) bring together stakeholders from
diverse food-related sectors to examine how the food system is
operating and to develop recommendations on how to improve it.
• They often include anti-hunger and food justice advocates, educators, non-profit organizations, concerned citizens, government officials, farmers, grocers, chefs, workers, food processors, and food distributors.
• By bringing diverse sectors together food policy councils create unique opportunities for discussion and strategy development and create an arena for evaluating the food system as a whole.
Sources: Community Food Security Coalition http://www.foodsecurity.org/FPC/Harper et al. 2009. “Food Policy Councils: Lessons Learned”. http://www.foodfirst.org/en/foodpolicycouncils-lessons
Food Policy Council Function“Catalyze, Coordinate, Connect” (and Capacity-building!)
• Initiate or support programs (catalyze & capacity-building)The LA Food Policy Council and the Good Food Purchasing Policy
• Foster coordination between sectors (coordinate)The Dane County Food Council and the Food Pantry Garden Project
• Serve as forum for food systems issues (connect)The most common and basic function of food policy councils
• Influence or evaluate food policy Chicago Food Policy Advisory Council & the Chicago Urban Agriculture Ordinance
Sources: Harper et al. 2009. “Food Policy Councils: Lessons Learned”. http://www.foodfirst.org/en/foodpolicycouncils-lessonsLA Food Policy Council organizing principles: “Catalyze, Coordinate, Connect”
Food Policy Council StructureFPC structure is often related to how a particular council is formed:
• Legislation• Executive Order• Grassroots organizing• Project of a non-profit
Considerations:• Relationship to government• Appointed vs. open membership• How will the work get done?
• Staff capacity• Community engagement
• How will we ensure accountability and inclusiveness? Source: Harper et al. 2009. “Food Policy Councils: Lessons Learned”. http://www.foodfirst.org/en/foodpolicycouncils-lessons
A 2009 study found that “the vast majority of food policy councils have either no staff at all or one part-time staff person, relying instead on volunteers or on restricted amounts of staff time from city, county or state employees assigned to the council in addition to their usual duties.”
Food Policy Council Challenges• Designing effective council structures
• Achieving and engaging diverse membership and constituencies
• Balancing diverse priorities• long and short term goals• policy & programmatic work
• Measuring and evaluating impact
• Obtaining adequate funding
• Working in complex political climatesSource: Harper et al. 2009. “Food Policy Councils: Lessons Learned”. http://www.foodfirst.org/en/foodpolicycouncils-lessons
Food Policy Council SuccessesExamples:
• New Mexico Food & Agriculture Policy Council
Expanded funding for farm to school and MNSU Extension support for tribal nations; stopped the sale of sugary soft drinks in schools
• New Orleans Food Policy Advisory CouncilHelped create the Fresh Food Retailer Initiative, which leverages public and private financing to provide low-interest and forgivable loans for food retailers who commit to sell fresh fruits and vegetables in underserved neighborhoods.
• Muscogee (Creek) Nation Food and Fitness Policy CouncilInitiated new procurement policies that will help tribal groups by more locally grown fruits and vegetables
• Dane County Food Council
Worked with Community Action Coalition of Southern Wisconsin and Dane County Parks and Conservation to shift county conservation land leased for commodity crop production to vegetable production for area food pantriesSource: Burgan and Winne. 2012. “Doing Food Policy Councils Right: A Guide to Action”. p. 8
http://www.markwinne.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/FPC-manual.pdf
Food Policy Council ResourcesFood Policy Councils: Lessons Learned (2009)http://www.foodfirst.org/en/foodpolicycouncils-lessons
Doing Food Policy Councils Right: A Guide to Development and Action (September 2012)http://www.markwinne.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/FPC-manual.pdf
Good Laws, Good Food: Putting Local Food Policy to Work for our Communities (July 2012)http://www.markwinne.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/food-toolkit-local.pdf
Good Laws, Good Food: Putting State Food Policy to Work for our Communities (Nov 2012)http://www.markwinne.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/food-toolkit-2012.pdf
Organizational Documents Designed for Food Policy Councils (November 2011)http://www.foodfirst.org/en/food+policy+council
The Community Food Security Coalition's North American Food Policy Council Webpagehttp://www.foodsecurity.org/FPC/
List of Food Policy Councils in North America (May 2012)http://www.markwinne.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/fp-councils-may-2012.pdf