October 7, 2014
the importance of
Food Councils
Christy Shi
Community Food Systems
Engagement Strategist
Christy Shi
Community Food Systems
Engagement Strategist
Christy Shi
Community Food Systems
Engagement Strategist
Made possible by financial support from
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation.
What EXACTLY do I mean by
food
council?
?
What EXACTLY do I mean by
food
council?
•
?
a non-profit,
such as Charlotte-Meck FPC?
What EXACTLY do I mean by
food
council?
•
?
•
a non-profit,
such as Charlotte-Meck FPC?
an appointed advisory board,
such as Cabarrus FPC?
What EXACTLY do I mean by
food
council?
•
?
•
•
a non-profit,
such as Charlotte-Meck FPC?
an appointed advisory board,
such as Cabarrus FPC?
a community network,
such as Forsyth Community
Food System Consortium?
What EXACTLY do I mean by
food
council?
•
?
•
•
•
a non-profit,
such as Charlotte-Meck FPC?
an appointed advisory board,
such as Cabarrus FPC?
a community network,
such as Forsyth Community
Food System Consortium?
a regional convening,
such as WNC FPC?
What EXACTLY do I mean by
food
council?
•
?
•
•
•
•
a non-profit,
such as Charlotte-Meck FPC?
an appointed advisory board,
such as Cabarrus FPC?
a community network,
such as Forsyth Community
Food System Consortium?
a regional convening,
such as WNC FPC?
a multi-county organization,
such as the Upper PeeDee FFC?
What EXACTLY do I mean by
food
council?
•
?
•
•
•
•
•
a non-profit,
such as Charlotte-Meck FPC?
an appointed advisory board,
such as Cabarrus FPC?
a community network,
such as Forsyth Community
Food System Consortium?
a regional convening,
such as WNC FPC?
a multi-county organization,
such as the Upper PeeDee FFC?
a membership coalition,
such as Sustainable Food NC?
What EXACTLY do I mean by
food
council?
•
?
•
•
•
YES.
•
•
a non-profit,
such as Charlotte-Meck FPC?
an appointed advisory board,
such as Cabarrus FPC?
a community network,
such as Forsyth Community
Food System Consortium?
a regional convening,
such as WNC FPC?
a multi-county organization,
such as the Upper PeeDee FFC?
a membership coalition,
such as Sustainable Food NC?
Food is emerging as a common denominator
in many community efforts.
Economy
Health
Environment
Planning
Agriculture &
Marine
Fisheries
Education
How do we leverage community food systems
to further loftier aims?
Healthy People
Vibrant Farms & Fishing
Resilient Ecosystems
Strong Communities
Thriving Local Economies
So many people are engaging in food –
it’s hard to keep up!
Marketing Groups
Elected Officials
Soil and Water Conservation
Farm Service Agency
Chambers of Commerce
Restaurant Associations
Museums and Historical Associations
So many people are engaging in food –
it’s hard to keep up!
Marketing Groups
Elected Officials
Soil and Water Conservation
Farm Service Agency
Chambers of Commerce
Restaurant Associations
Land Trusts
Hardware, Feed & Seed Stores
Higher Education
Community Foundations
Distributors
Hospitals
Museums and Historical Associations
Health Practitioners
Community Gardens
Parks and Recreation
Food Bloggers & Writers
Cooperative Extension
So many people are engaging in food –
it’s hard to keep up!
Marketing Groups
Soil and Water Conservation
Farm Service Agency
Chambers of Commerce
Elected Officials
Restaurant Associations
Land Trusts
Hardware, Feed & Seed Stores
Higher Education
Community Foundations
Distributors
Farm Bureau
Nature Groups
Tourism
Cooperative Extension
Food Bloggers & Writers
Grocery/Convenience Stores
Youth Organizations
Educators (K-12)
Economic Development
Culinary Schools
Media
Watershed Groups
Hospitals
Local Farm & Food Orgs
Social Services
Museums and Historical Associations
Health Practitioners
Community Gardens
Parks and Recreation
So many people are engaging in food –
it’s hard to keep up!
Marketing Groups
Elected Officials
Soil and Water Conservation
Farm Service Agency
Chambers of Commerce
Restaurant Associations
Land Trusts
Hardware, Feed & Seed Stores
Higher Education
Community Foundations
Distributors
Museums and Historical Associations
Health Practitioners
Community Gardens
Parks and Recreation
Cooperative Extension
Food Bloggers & Writers
Local Farm & Food Orgs
Grocery/Convenience Stores
Youth Organizations
Farm Bureau
Educators (K-12)
Economic Development
Nature Groups
Culinary Schools
Media
Social Services
Tourism
Watershed Groups
Future Farmers of America
Faith-Based Organizations
Environment/Sustainability Offices
Hospitals
Dealer/Packers/Processors
Farmers Markets
Public Health
Local Government
Food Banks
Planning & Code Enforcement
Banks & Funding Agencies
Community College
Small Business Centers
Civic Clubs and Organizations
Natural Resource Conservation Service
School System Nutritionists
Waste Management
Food Hubs/Aggregators
With so much activity, how do we know what the
issues are, who is involved, and what’s working?
Food councils are emerging to strengthen
community-based food systems in NC.
Food councils are emerging to strengthen
community-based food systems in NC.
Food councils are emerging to strengthen
community-based food systems in NC.
WHY
…are food councils needed?
Systems change requires
many diverse people learning from each other.
WHY?
Food councils provide ways to encourage all
actors across the system to learn together.
WHY?
Food councils provide ways to encourage all
actors across the system to learn together.
Fostering social capital (trust),
an important factor in systems change.
WHY?
Food councils provide ways to encourage all
actors across the system to learn together.
Fostering social capital (trust),
an important factor in systems change.
Bringing together groups that typically
do not intersect with each other.
WHY?
Food councils provide ways to encourage all
actors across the system to learn together.
Fostering social capital (trust),
an important factor in systems change.
Bringing together groups that typically
do not intersect with each other.
Intentionally exploring joint actions,
building trust and breaking down silos.
WHY?
Systems change requires
a shared concept of a community food system.
Blind Men and the Elephant By John Godfrey Saxe (1816–1887)
WHY?
Food councils provide a shared way of thinking
about the whole community food system.
WHY?
Food councils provide a shared way of thinking
about the whole community food system.
Creating a vision everyone sees
themselves fitting into.
(Google: Whole Measures)
WHY?
Food councils provide a shared way of thinking
about the whole community food system.
Creating a vision everyone sees
themselves fitting into.
(Google: Whole Measures)
Creating a frame that reflects all
investments in improving the system.
(Google: Community Capitals)
WHY?
Food councils provide a shared way of thinking
about the whole community food system.
Creating a vision everyone sees
themselves fitting into.
(Google: Whole Measures)
Creating a frame that reflects all
investments in improving the system.
(Google: Community Capitals)
Approaching the whole picture,
emphasizing results, not activities.
(Google: Outcomes Thinking)
WHY?
In systems change,
complex issues are difficult to untangle.
loss of farmland
poverty
shrinking farmer
& fishing professions
poor diets
WHY?
Food councils can bring together
the whole system to learn what really works.
WHY?
Food councils can bring together
the whole system to learn what really works.
What did we do?
WHY?
Food councils can bring together
the whole system to learn what really works.
What did we do?
So what?
WHY?
Food councils can bring together
the whole system to learn what really works.
What did we do?
So what?
Now what?
WHY?
WHY
…are food councils needed?
WHY
…are food councils needed?
Collaboration
WHY
…are food councils needed?
Collaboration
Shared View
WHY
…are food councils needed?
Collaboration
Shared View
What Works?
WHAT
…do food councils DO?
Food councils facilitate connections
by engaging many people in the conversation.
WHAT?
Engaging government staff
facilitates connections across departments.
Engaging residents facilitates connections
across industry and community efforts.
Engaging statewide facilitates connections
to resources and learning opportunities.
Food councils focus attention
by making sense of complex issues.
WHAT?
Assessing current status of health, economy, and
environment identifies critical food-related issues.
Learning about underlying factors reveals
food-related barriers and opportunities.
Identifying priorities focuses attention
on what needs to happen next.
Food councils drive action by providing
impetus and support for food-related change.
WHAT?
Recommending policy changes
removes barriers and creates opportunities.
Recommending community programming changes
creates synergies within the local food system.
Communicating local priorities to other councils
builds momentum statewide.
WHAT
…do food councils DO?
WHAT
…do food councils DO?
Facilitate Connections
WHAT
…do food councils DO?
Facilitate Connections
Provide Focus
WHAT
…do food councils DO?
Facilitate Connections
Provide Focus
Drive Action
HOW
…do food councils succeed?
Successful food councils attend to people.
HOW?
Attending to people involves
asking questions such as:
HOW?
Attending to people involves
asking questions such as:
Who is missing from the conversation
and what will it take to engage them?
HOW?
Attending to people involves
asking questions such as:
Who is missing from the conversation
and what will it take to engage them?
How do we cultivate a culture of
inclusivity and participation?
HOW?
Attending to people involves
asking questions such as:
Who is missing from the conversation
and what will it take to engage them?
How do we cultivate a culture of
inclusivity and participation?
How do we empower people to take
action individually and in groups?
HOW?
Successful food councils attend to purpose.
HOW?
Attending to purpose involves
intentional conversations around:
HOW?
Attending to purpose involves
intentional conversations around:
What are the most important results
we want to achieve?
HOW?
Attending to purpose involves
intentional conversations around:
What are the most important results
we want to achieve?
How do we hold creative tension
between opposing needs?
HOW?
Attending to purpose involves
intentional conversations around:
What are the most important results
we want to achieve?
How do we hold creative tension
between opposing needs?
How do we chart our course while
allowing for emergence?
HOW?
Successful food councils attend to process.
HOW?
Attending to process involves
providing structural supports such as:
HOW?
Attending to process involves
providing structural supports such as:
Facilitation skills and empowering
group members to facilitate.
HOW?
Attending to process involves
providing structural supports such as:
Facilitation skills and empowering
group members to facilitate.
Decision-making procedures that are
inclusive, seeking BOTH/AND solutions.
HOW?
Attending to process involves
providing structural supports such as:
Facilitation skills and empowering
group members to facilitate.
Decision-making procedures that are
inclusive, seeking BOTH/AND solutions.
Culture of collaborative learning –
where it is safe to learn from failure.
HOW?
HOW
…do food councils succeed?
HOW
…do food councils succeed?
Attend to People
HOW
…do food councils succeed?
Attend to People
Attend to Purpose
HOW
…do food councils succeed?
Attend to People
Attend to Purpose
Attend to Process
Food councils are an important part
of strengthening community food systems.
Food councils are an important part
of strengthening community food systems.
WHY?
Collaboration
Shared View
What Works?
Food councils are an important part
of strengthening community food systems.
WHY?
Collaboration
Shared View
What Works?
Provide Focus
Drive Action
WHAT?
Facilitate Connections
Food councils are an important part
of strengthening community food systems.
WHY?
Collaboration
Shared View
What Works?
Facilitate Connections
Provide Focus
Drive Action
Attend to People
Attend to Purpose
Attend to Process
WHAT?
HOW?
Wanna know more?
Christy Shi Day
Community Food Systems
Engagement Strategist
Made possible by financial support from
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation.
Wanna know more?
tinyurl.com/council-webinar
Christy Shi Day
Community Food Systems
Engagement Strategist
Made possible by financial support from
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation.
Wanna know more?
tinyurl.com/council-webinar
Christy Shi Day
Community Food Systems
Engagement Strategist
communityfoodstrategies.org
Made possible by financial support from
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation.
Wanna know more?
tinyurl.com/council-webinar
Christy Shi Day
Community Food Systems
Engagement Strategist
communityfoodstrategies.org
ceshi@ncsu.edu
Made possible by financial support from
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation.