Active Citizens, Healthy Foods U'S' Food and Farm Policy

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Active Citizens, Healthy Foods U.S. Food and
Farm Policy

• The 2007 Farm Bill and Beyond
• Seattle/King County AFPC
• August 18, 2006

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Why care about food and farm policy?

• 11 of the US population are food insecure-they
  dont know where their next meal is will come
  from
• Over 65 of the U.S. population is obese or
  overweight (Center for Disease Control)
• 16 of children are overweight or obese, with the
  rates increasing each year (Center for Disease
  Control)
• 11 million acres of farmland was lost between
  1992-1997 (Farmland Information Center National
  Statistics Sheet)

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More reasons to care about food and farm policy

• It affects the quality and cost of our food, the
  livelihood of our farmers and the cleanliness of
  our air and water
• Citizen pressure on government creates policies
  that are more reflective of citizens needs and
  values
• If we say nothing, then nothing will change for
  the better!

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You should also care about food and farm policy
if any of the following is true

• You care about where your food comes from and how
  it is grown
• You want your school to be able to buy food from
  local farmers
• You think every person should be able to get
  healthy and affordable food
• You believe in Fair Trade
• You believe in farm worker and immigrant rights
• You want to protect the land, air and water
• You are concerned about the supply of food in
  times of high energy costs and national
  vulnerability

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At the national level, CFSC and its partners
attempt to influence the direction of farm and
food policy through

• Annual appropriations (the budget)
• Administrative action with federal agencies
• Child Nutrition Reauthorization
• The Farm Bill
• Federal - State policy linkages

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Conventional policy cycle
funding allocated (appropriate)
monitoring evaluation
policy mandate (authorize)
program design (rulemaking)
implementation at local levels
Local community and field impacts
A.Getz-Escudero
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What is the Farm Bill?

• A broad package of proposals (titles) for new
  programs and changes to existing ones
• Reauthorized about every five years
• some programs also have to go through a yearly
  appropriations process to get funding
• Last Farm Bill passed in 2002

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The Farm Bill is not just about farming

• There are 12 titles of the farm bill that address
  a range of issues including
• Local Food System Development
• Protection of air and water
• Sustainable Agriculture
• Access to healthy foods
• Public Health
• International trade
• Rural Development
• Farm worker rights
• Nutrition Assistance

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Some examples from the 2002 Farm Bill

• USDA Community Food Projects Resources for
  innovative solutions to community food and
  nutrition problems
• USDA Value Added Producer Grants Resources for
  processing innovation
• Farmers Market Coupon Programs for low income
  families and seniors to purchase food at farmers
  markets.

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Programs in past Farm Bills

• Food Stamp Program Changes Restored partial
  benefits to legal immigrants
• USDA Office of Civil Rights and Office of
  Outreach
• Outreach and accountability to ensure fair
  access to services, funds and programs for
  farmers of color, limited resource and other
  socially disadvantaged farmers

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Programs cont

• Conservation Security Program
• Rewards farmers for farming practices that
  protect water, soil and air quality
• Regional planning and technical assistance
  grants
• Funds innovative linkages and partnerships
  that enhance food security and farm support such
  as FPCs

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Programs Not in the Farm Bill

• Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act
• Farm to School
• Child Nutrition Programs (School Breakfast, Lunch
  Summer Food)
• WIC (Special
• Supplemental
• Nutrition Program
• for Women, Infants
• and Children)

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Potential influences on the upcoming Farm Bill

• World Trade Organization negotiation may restrict
  U.S. farm subsidies
• Taxpayer concern about high crop subsidy payments
• Federal Budget pressures caused by Iraq, Katrina
  and tax cuts
• Soaring energy costs affecting food prices
• Diet-related health problems, e.g. obesity
• Homeland security, food security and preparedness
  issues (post Hurricane Katrina)

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Farm and Food Policy Project (FFPP)

• Collaboration of hundreds of diverse
  organizations united by a vision of a sustainable
  food and agricultural system

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multiple issue groups sharing vision and finding
common ground
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Issue advocacy overlaps scales
National policy organizations
Regional State Networks
Urban Rural Grassroots movements
agriculture
environment
public health
anti-hunger/nutrition
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Healthy Food and Communities Workgroup

• Five Goals
• End Hunger and Increase Healthy Food Access
• Create a Food and Agricultural System that
  Enhances Health
• Increase Local and Regional Food Security
• Orient Research and Development Programs to
  Promote Innovative Solutions to Problems
• Protect the Health and Economic Opportunities of
  Vulnerable People

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End Hunger and Increase Healthy Food Access

• Food Stamp Program
• Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program
• Retail access to healthy foods
• Public education for hunger prevention
• Encourage increased consumption of healthful food
  products by low-income people

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Create a Food and Agricultural System that
Enhances Health

• Only healthy foods in schools
• Local/regional food in cafeterias
• Improved labeling standards
• Limit non-therapeutic use of antibiotics in
  livestock

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Increase Local and Regional Food Security

• Increased institutional purchase of local and
  regional products
• Expand Community Food Projects Grants
• Establish community food reserves for food
  security in all regions
• Increase urban agriculture opportunities

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Orient Research and Development Programs to
Promote Innovative Solutions

• Community-based participatory research
• Better monitoring and evaluation of USDA programs
• Research on health impacts of food and farming
  systems

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Protect the Health and Economic Opportunities of
Vulnerable People

• Reduce promotion of unhealthy food to children
• Ensure safe working conditions and decent wages
  for all food system workers
• Halt the disproportionate loss of farmland by
  people of color
• Expand farm programs that serve young, women,
  people of color, and new farmers

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Other FFPP Workgroups

• Family Farm Revitalization
• Goal improve viability of small and mid-sized
  family farms and ranches and provide new
  opportunities in sustainable agriculture
• Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program
• Farm and Ranch Stewardship
• Goal reward farmers and ranchers for
  environment-friendly practices
• Technical assistance
• Strengthening and expansion of cooperatives and
  partnerships

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Other FFPP workgroups cont

• New Agricultural Markets
• Goal enhance market opportunities for small and
  mid-sized farmers and ranchers
• Value-Added Producer Grant Program
• Support for transition to organic or other
  sustainable practices

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Health A driving force for the next Farm Bill
Healthy Food
Healthy Farms
Healthy Communities
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Ways to get involved

• Additional Information Resources
• www.ssawg.org/cfs-handbook.html
• www.foodsecurity.org/Fed_Policy_Advocacy_Handbook.
  pdf
• www.dchunger.org/pdf/healthfoodcomm.pdf
• www.worldhungeryear.org/fslc/
• www.thefoodproject.org/
• Policy Infrastructure
• www.westernsawg.org (regional)
• www.wrahc.org (regional)
• www.frac.org (national)
• www.cspinet.org/nutritionpolicy/nana.html
  (national)
• www.foodsecurity.org (national)
• www.sustainableagriculture.net (national)
• www.farmandfoodproject.org (national)

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FEDERAL POLICY ADVOCACY HANDBOOK
Barrett Ebright, Congressional Hunger Fellow In
collaboration with Sarah Borron, CFSC Policy
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May stretch into 2008 or beyond?
Farm Bill benchmarks milestones ahead
February 2007
Mark up begins (earliest estimate)
Initial trial bills and adoption of initiatives
October
September
Launch of initiatives.
July-August
Field Outreach
June
Draft blueprint of initiatives
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Ways to get involvedcont

• Write letters and op-eds to your local newspapers
• Make sure your organization is involved with the
  Farm Bill and FFPP discussions - participate in
  policy work groups and committees
• Educate and motivate others to become involved
  and voice their thoughts
• Be ready to respond to legislative alerts and
  contact your representatives in Congress
• Invite representatives or their staff to visit
  field or community food projects you are involved
  in
• For more information, contact Steph Larsen
  202-543-8602 or steph_at_foodsecurity.org

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Remember

• what you eat you are, but
• how you vote and engage policy determines what
  you eat!