Mark Winne • Har$ord (CT) Food System (1979-03) • Author: Food Rebels, Guerrilla Gardeners and Smart-Cookin’ Mamas and Closing the Food Gap • Senior Advisor, Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future • Food Policy and Food System Consultant; win5m@aol.com; www.markwinne.com; 860-558-8226; • Resources: “Doing Food Policy Councils Right,” “Good Law, Good Food: Guide to Food Policy” • www.foodpolicynetworks.org : FPC and food policy resources, directory, and list serve
Why Have a Food Policy Council? “No major famine has ever occurred in a funcZoning democracy with regular elecZons, opposiZon parZes, basic freedom and relaZvely free media (even when the country is very poor).” Amartya Sen, Nobel Laureate Economist “ Decisions on important ma[ers should not be made by one person alone. They should be discussed with many.” Anonymous Florida Buddhist (Japanese Buddhist ConsFtuFon, 604 AD)
Purposes of Food Policy Councils • Influence government food policies that promote jusZce, health, and sustainability • Coordinate food system stakeholders within a specified geography and jurisdicZons • Tend to favor policies over projects, but • Tend to not take on the most controversial food issues of the day, but… • Conduct food assessments and food plans
Food Policy Council Growth & OrientaZon • Has geographic and jurisdicZonal focus: municipal, county, state (about 20), regional, and tribal • Considers all elements of the food system • MulZ-stakeholder orientaZon • 2010: 111 FPCs • 2012: 193 FPCs • 2015: 212 FPCs
OrganizaZonal Structure FPCs can be created by: • State statute (Conn.) or local ordinance (Douglas County, KS) • An execuZve order (North Carolina) or local resoluZon (Santa Fe, NM) • May be independently organized (government agencies parZcipate but FPC is not a part of government: California, Cleveland) • Can also be organized as non-profits (Iowa) or operate under the aegis of an exisZng non- profit, i.e. “backbone” organizaZon (Kansas City) • May operate with direct support from a state agency (Alaska Health Dept.)
Governance Structures Government-Appointed 27% Advisory Body Independent 501c3 Independent Grassroots CoaliFon 61% 12%
Equity • ComposiZon of Food Policy Council members: Does it reflect the community? • Commitment to community engagement: Do your food assessment and public consultaZon processes target lower income communiZes? • SelecZon of policy issues: Do your primary public policy intervenZons address the community’s health, social, and economic dispariZes? • Is there balance between policy makers, food system stakeholders, and grass roots? Ex: Top down – Mayors direct the work; bo[om up – grass roots and private sector stakeholders direct the work
Community Engagement Food Policy For All … hXp://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and- insFtutes/johns-hopkins-center-for-a-livable-future/ projects/FPN/resource/online/index.html Council-based Techniques: Language about inclusion wriXen into the council’s mission statement Project-based Techniques: AXend other organizaFons’ meeFngs Common Challenges: Lack of resources, culture and language barriers, challenges engaging people in “food policy.” Further recommendaFons: Knowing your community, relaFonship building, community organizing lessons
Funding and Staffing • Funding – Federal: Community Food Projects; Center for Disease Control; Community Development Block Grants – Community funding: foundaZons; state, county, and city sources – In-kind support: colleges and universiZes, larger non- profits, CooperaZve Extension • Staffing: Most FPCs use one, half to full-Zme person, and in-kind staffing from public agencies and larger non-profits
FPCs: What They Do • There are no “Departments of Food”; FPCs can be a de facto Dept. of Food • FPCs are food system planning venues • Membership: government, academia, community members, farmers and gardeners, food banks, distributors, restaurants, retailers, and faith communiZes • Focus gov’t funcZons – health, planning, econ. development, educaZon, agriculture, social services – on food system concerns • FPCs advise policy makers, address food- related regulaZons, budgeZng, legislaZon, programs and administraZon; they also advocate and educate
Local & State Food Policies • Farmland PreservaZon (Conn. and Montana) • NutriZon Rules in Schools, Farm to School, and “Double-Up Bucks” for SNAP (New Mexico) • Agritourism – Olympia, WA • Co[age Food Laws and food sale regs – Mississippi and Memphis, TN • Developing a local and sustainable food economy (Illinois) • Comprehensive food planning (Massachuse[s)
FPC AcFons and Accomplishments Cleveland/Cuyahoga County FPC: • Secured zoning changes to promote urban agriculture and raising of chickens and bees • Expanding food businesses with city economic development funds and using city/county purchasing funds for locally grown food • Healthy Cleveland IniZaZve – Banning trans-fat; clash between public and private interests.
More Policies and Programs • NCSL Report: 36 states enacted 91 policies between 2012 and 2014 • MSU Survey: 2000 municipaliZes enacted 3 food policies each on average • Public Procurement: Farm to School reaches 43,000 schools; Los Angeles FPC and Good Food Purchasing Program ($150 million of food purchase annually by LAUSD); AusZn, TX – Other public insZtuZons • Food Hubs: MD funds $750,000 for a BalZmore food hub; feasibility study in Douglas Co. KS • Land Use: zoning that favors urban ag and markeZng (KC), comprehensive land use planning (Santa Fe); • Food Waste: Waste Not Orange County
Common Aspects of State-Wide Food Policy AcFon Planning (with thanks to Phyllis Schulman) • Core group leads the effort • Staff/consultants available for administraFon, project design, research, report wriFng, strategic direcFon, and facilitaFon (e.g. role of a backbone organizaFon) • CommunicaFon capacity available • Visioning (values) and engagement process • Work plan, Fmeline, deliverables • Methods of measurement • EffecFve implementaFon strategies
Regional Networking • CriZcal mass of local and state FPCs now exist in some places to promote regional networking • California: 20-plus local FPCs networking under Routes of Change as a state FPC • Ohio: 20 (est.) local FPCs a[empZng to network to replace Ohio State FPC • New Mexico FPC working with four local FPCs to advance state policy agenda
Food Policies and AcZons • Supermarket Development (food to the people): - New Haven, Conn.(Dwight CDC) - Fresh Food Financing IniZaZve (Penn.) • OpZmizing impact of Federal nutriZon programs - Improving WIC caseload and services in Har$ord - Bringing EBT to farmers’ markets • Public transportaZon (people to the food) - New bus routes in Har$ord
Purpose of Food Plan or Charter • Secure stakeholder buy-in and parZcipaZon in food system change • Develop common policy agenda • IdenZfy food system opportuniZes and challenges • Gather food system data • Develop measurable goals • Organize and coordinate stakeholders: Plan is more a means than an end • Nurture the development of local and regional networks
Minnesota Food Charter (about 5 states have food charters) www.MNfoodcharter.com - Minnesota Blue Cross/Blue Shield FoundaZon played a major role - No single backbone organizaZon - CooperaZve Extension heavily involved - Two-year effort - Local FPCs were involved - Used collecZve impact approach 2500 parZcipants, 200 events and convenings (some had 8 people; some 100), surveys and focus groups
Minnesota ConZnued: - Major investment in relaZonship and network building is probably biggest outcome - Some policy recommendaZons: 1) Establish Healthy Food Financing IniZaZve to combat food deserts; 2) Offer more high nutriZon food at state food pantries; 3) provide tax credits to farmers for donated food to food pantries - PoliZcal pushback: because MN is a big sugar beet state, the only major item let out of Charter was tax on sugary sot drinks.
Three things are crucial to every organizaFon/coaliFon • Leadership • Management • Vision
Leadership Models • Hierarchy • Flat (self-managed org)
Leadership … • Are the Council’s meeZngs interesZng and engaging? Does leadership do a good job of facilitaZng and coordinaZng (non- hierarchical)? • Tips: Everyone’s worth and contribuZon must be acknowledged; allow space to voice feelings • Is each agenda item “acZonable,” e.g. resoluZon or follow up is clearly defined at the end of discussion • Are agendas fresh and interesZng; are outside speakers invited; do you always bring food?
Shared Vision • A shared vision is a desired future state shared by a collecZve of persons – Must be physically possible – May not be easily imaginable – Must be owned (felt) by the members of the group, can’t only be the product of one or two group members
Members’ RelaZonship and Authority • Are the FPC’s proposals commensurate with the authority of members represenZng organizaZons and agencies? Ex. EBT/Farm Mkts. • Has the FPC spelled out the relaZonships between members with respect to individual v. group (FPC) interests, sharing resources, messaging, conflict resoluZon? Has a[enZon been paid to developing trust? ConnecZcut AnZ-Hunger CoaliZon: How $75,000 leveraged millions
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