Mark Winne
505-983-3047
win5m@aol.com , www.markwinne.com
• Exec. Dir. of the Hartford Food System
– 1979-2003
• Co-founder Community Food Security
Coalition, Hartford Food Policy
Council, Conn. Food Policy Council,
NM Food & Ag PC, and Santa Fe FPC
• Senior Advisor at Johns Hopkins U.
Center for a Livable Future
• Food Rebels, Guerrilla Gardeners, and
Smart-Cookin’ Mamas and Closing the
Food Gap
Today’s Goals
• Review “best practices” and state
of the art of Food Policy Councils
– successes and challenges,
issues, actions, methods
• Develop next steps re:
organizational structure &
governance, membership, and
policy issues
Why Have Food Policy
Councils?
“No major famine has ever occurred
in a functioning democracy with
regular elections, opposition parties,
basic freedom and a relatively free
media (even when the country is
very poor
- Amartya Sen
Purposes of FPCs
They should:
• Influence government food policies that
promote health, equity, and sustainability
• Coordinate food system stakeholders within
a specified geographic area (“joined up food
policy”)
• Understand the food system and
relationships of its parts better than anyone
They should probably not:
• Favor projects over policies (exceptions)
• Take on the oligopolistic forces of multinational agribusiness
The 2012 FPC Census
• FPCs in 2010: 111
• FPCs in 2012: 193 (est: over 200
today)
• 1/3 are government appointed;
balanced independent
• 30 are state or tribal; balance local,
county, and/or regional
• To view FPC directory go to
www.markwinne.com
FPCs Complement the Work of the
Private and Public Sectors
• The “3-Ps” of effective community food
system work: Projects, Partners, and Policies
• Private and public sectors develop numerous
food and farm project, businesses, and
services
• Partnerships improved networking,
coordination, and collaboration
• Local and state public policies must be
engaged.
• Food Policy: The actions and in-actions of
government that influence the supply,
quality, price, production, distribution and
consumption of food
What Do Food Policies Look
Like in Practice?
Mark Winne Associates and Harvard Law
School publications:
• Good Laws, Good Food: Putting Local
Food Policy to Work for Our Communities;
• Good Laws, Good Food: Putting State…
• Available at:
http://www.markwinne.com/resourcematerials/
A Food Policy Council Manual
• Getting Started: Developing and Operating
More Effective Food Policy Councils
• By Mark Winne and Michael Burgan
• Table of Contents:
Some Why’s and What’s of Food Policy Councils
The Basics of Food Policy Action
Developing a FPC
Putting the “Policy” in an FPC
Operating a Food Policy Council
Evaluating Partnership, Goals, and Accomplishments
Lessons Learned
• Available at: http://www.markwinne.com/resource-materials/
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, restaurants, retailers,
and faith communities
• Focus government functions – health,
planning, econ. development, education,
agriculture, social services – on food system
concerns
• FPCs are advisory; address regulations,
budgeting, legislations, programs and
administration
Getting Started
• Start with a small number and gradually
expand your circle – find allies, partners,
and champions
• Hold a forum or food summit; prepare a
concept paper or white paper; meet with
government officials (many cups of coffee)
• Charter?
• Vision, mission, strategic planning
• Selecting members
Assessing and Planning
Use Food Assessments and Planning to:
• Inform the work and focus of a FPC
• Engage the wider community
• Develop your community’s “food profile”
• Educate yourselves, policymakers, and
the public about the food system: What is
it? How does it work? What are its gaps
and needs?
• It’s not a “one-off” activity – Knowing your
food system is an on-going activity
Assessing Examples
•
•
•
•
•
Mapping
Food Plans and Strategies
Edmonton, Alberta
Colorado FPC “Field Trip”
Publications: New Mexico and
Connecticut’s Guide to a Healthy Food
System
Organizational Structure
• FPCs can be created by state statute
(Connecticut) or local ordinance
(Portland, OR),
• An executive order (Michigan) or
resolution (Santa Fe
• Independently organized – government
agencies participate but FPC is not a
part of government (New Mexico,
Cleveland)
• Non-profit (501c3) (Iowa).
Relationships
• Strengths and Weaknesses are inherent in
all organizational models, but what counts
are:
• Diversity/multi-stakeholder
• Leadership
• Relationship between members and
particularly with government
Coalitions, Networks, etc.
• Life is a partnership – you get out of it what you
put into it
• Cooperating: low risk to member; little chance
of systems change; can model best practices,
test ideas, convene problem-solving sessions
• Coordinating: low to moderate risk; better
chance of systems change; can push
organizational boundaries, engage in activities
requiring greater mutual reliance
• Collaborating: moderate to high risk; best
chance of systems change; has methods to
resolve conflict; long-term system creation
Stakeholders and Partners
• Who are they?
• What do you expect from each
other?
Funding and Staff
• Federal sources of FPC funding are the
Community Food Projects and CDC
• Community foundations, local, county,
and state governments are contributing
• In-kind support by government
agencies, cooperative extension,
universities, and larger non-profits
• Staff: half-time is the norm, but range
from 0 to 2; interns, AmeriCorps, Food
Corps
Tips to Sustainability
• Start with low-hanging fruit
• Communicate! maintain a website and
high profile; communicate regularly with
policymakers; educate, publicize, and tell
stories; give awards (What can I do when I
got no money?)
• Small policy “wins” lay the groundwork for
big policy “wins.”
• Keep agendas fresh and interesting; invite
outside speakers; bring food!
• More tips…
FPC Issues, Actions, Methods
• New Mexico Food & Ag. Policy Council: School
nutrition rules for competitive foods; expanded farm
to school funding; expanded funding for NMSU
Extension support for tribal nations; working on a
new economic development initiative to address
rural “food deserts.” Funding for farmers’ markets;
infrastructure development for irrigation systems on
Navajo
• Cleveland/Cuyahoga County FPC: Secured zoning
changes to protect community gardens, urban
farms, and raising of chickens and bees; expanded
urban ag. with city economic development funds,
and promoted use of public purchasing for locally
grown food; Healthy Cleveland Initiative
FPC Actions
• Missoula, Mont. FPC working with county land use
board to direct development away from prime farm
and ranchland; modified or rejected over 25
subdivision proposals; chicken and bee regulations;
mapped prime agricultural soils
• Boulder County FPC developing sustainable
agriculture use plan for 25,000 publicly-owned acres
of farmland; rejected proposal to plant GE sugar
beet seeds
• Kansas City: Changed urban agriculture zoning; held
a food policy candidates night
• Los Angeles: change food procurement guidelines
• Seattle: Took position on Farm Bill
What are Your Issues?
FPC Action cont’d…
• Hartford FPC restored WIC caseload to 10,000 from
6,000; public transportation study created new bus
route to connect low income residents to
supermarkets
• Connecticut FPC conducted public education
campaign regarding loss of the state’s farmland;
resulted in the development of $30 million per year in
state fund for farmland preservation, farm to school
and farm viability grant programs; improved delivery
of nutrition education services previously operated
by 5 separate state agencies; State Farm Map,
brought EBT to farmers’ markets; addressing lack of
livestock slaughter and processing facilities
Michigan Food Policy Council
• Supporting Michigan Food Charter –
Michigan’s Charter Goals: By 2020, 20%
of food purchased by the state’s public
institutions will be locally grown; 80% of
Michigan’s residents will have easy access
to affordable, healthy, and fresh food (20%
will be local); Michigan schools will
incorporate food and agriculture into their
kindergarten to 12th grade curricula.
Methods
• Legislative and administrative advocacy –
NM
• Food plan – Seattle, NYC, Santa Fe
• Testifying – Conn, Michigan
• Strong communication and engagement;
many partners and stakeholders – NM
• Building connections and relationships –
between members and state agencies
Colorado and Conn.
• Public education, publications, reports,
and forums – Conn., MI, NM
Lessons Learned
• Relationships count; cultivate them
• Be inclusive of a wide range of interests
• On conflict: work for consensus; foster
climate of healthy debate
• Educate yourselves, the general public, and
policy makers constantly
• Community food assessment is an on-going
enterprise, not a one-time act
• Look for synergy between – and be aware of
– relationships between all levels of
government
• Cultivate good leadership and champions