Food Policy 101 May, 2017
Food Policy describes the set of laws and regulations that inform how, why, and when food is produced, transported, distributed, and consumed.
Who are key food policy actors?
Who are key food policy actors? Federal agencies USDA FDA EPA CDC FCC President Executive orders Congress Legislation Governors Sate legislative bodies State agencies City councils Mayors Food policy councils Planning boards Membership and special interest group orgs Farmers Health professionals Industry Consumers
What are key food policy tools?
What are key food policy tools? Legislation International Federal Tribal State Local (ordinances) Regulations Citizen petitions Notice & comment Guidance Education & Taxes Awareness Credits campaigns Deductions Expert bodies Voluntary DGA standards Conference of Incentive funding Food Protection Funding Mandatory Grant programs Pilot programs Reimbursements Incentive
Sources of Food Policy Definition Goals Legislation Laws created by Congress or state legislatures; usually delegate power to an agency To address a social or economic need or problem by changing the law Regulation Federal or state agencies fill in the details of these laws To lay out rules and procedures to comply with the law Why this is important: 1. Different types of policy-making 2. Different entities making policy (see examples on page 5 in your packet)
Activity
Instructions Examine food and agricultural topics given to your table Discuss whether the topic would be addressed at the federal, state, or local level, or at multiple levels Put each topic under what you think is the appropriate level (or levels).
Answer Key
Different levels of policy International Federal State Local Institution/ organization
Federal Level Federal authority is limited Main relevant authority: Over goods that cross state lines
State Level State authority is broad 1. Can regulate everything the federal government does not 2. Can regulate where Congress has not acted
Local Level Local authority depends on how much authority is allocated by the state government
Issue Areas 1. Food System Infrastructure 2. Consumer Access and Consumer Demand 3. Food Assistance Programs 4. School Food and Education 5. Land Use Planning 6. Farm to Institution 7. Food Safety and Processing 8. Food Waste
Food System Infrastructure Food system infrastructure refers to the entities that shape the process along the chain from seed to food to consumption, including food production, processing, distribution, transportation, and retail
Production Urban agriculture Loans/grants and training for farmers Reducing wasted food Incentivizing food donation Composting food waste The Food System Includes Processing Mobile slaughter units Community kitchens Retail & Consumer Access Farmers markets/csas Healthy corner stores Aggregation and Distribution Regional food hubs
e.g.: food hubs FOOD INNOVATION ZONE For Eastern Market s food industry to remain competitive and grow as a hub of living wage jobs, a concerted effort to assemble and prepare land for development for food based production, processing, and manufacturing must take place. - Eastern Market 2025 Strategy Eastern Market Detroit, MI
Consumer Access & Consumer Demand Consumer Access: methods of increasing ability of consumers to access food by providing more retail options, improving transportation, etc. (geographic and economic challenges) Consumer Demand: methods to influence consumer purchases, through labeling, taxes, and even outright bans
Consumer Access Geographic access: Proximity of retailers that offer (healthy) food Economic access: Economic ability of consumers to buy food Cultural access: Are the (healthy) food offerings appropriate for the community?
e.g.: benefit use at farmers markets EXPAND FOOD BENEFIT USE AT FARMERS MARKETS SNAP WIC WIC/SENIORS-FMNP CURRENT USE AT FARMERS MARKETS STEPS TO INCREASE FARMERS MARKET PARTICIPATION No limit on funds used at farmers market. Can be used at any markets that are authorized SNAP vendors and have EBT machines. Work with state or local government to support the free distribution of wireless EBT machines or push for markets to purchase machines. Advocate for a requirement that all new farmers markets accept SNAP. Push existing markets to transition by a certain date. Push local agencies to utilize public funds or apply for private funding to offer incentive programs. $6-10/month for fruits and vegetables allowed if state approves Cash Value Voucher (CVV)* checks at market. *CVV checks are for fruit and vegetable purchases (in WIC monthly package). Advocate for state or local regulations that allow WIC CVV checks to be spent at farmers markets. Where allowed, educate markets about WIC CVV and encourage them to take steps to become authorized WIC CVV vendors. Push local agencies to utilize public funds or apply for private funding for incentive programs. $10-30/WIC recipient/year or $20-50/S-FMNP recipient/year to spend at registered farmers markets. Both programs have limited availability in terms of voucher amounts and locations available. Advocate for expansion of federal FMNP funding. Push for state or local government to allocate funds to expand these programs and increase the voucher amounts. Push local agencies to utilize public funds or apply for private funding for incentive programs.
Pitt
Consumer Demand Labeling Ingredient bans Stocking requirements for stores Soda and junk food taxes Navajo Nation (2015) *junk food Berkeley, CA (2015) Philadelphia, PA (Jan, 2017) *diet soda Boulder, CO (Jul, 2017) *$0.02/oz Oakland, CA (Jul, 2017) Cook County, IL (Jul, 2017) Albany, CA (Nov, 2017) San Francisco, CA (Jan, 2018)
Food Assistance Programs Federal food assistance programs overcome economic barriers to consumer access SNAP (formerly food stamps) Federal Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) WIC Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program Farmers Market Nutrition Program
School Food and Education Children consume 19-50% of total daily calories at school Health, agricultural, and nutrition education can impact children into adulthood
Examples of School Meal Policies Universal free breakfast or lunch Lengthening lunch period or having recess before lunch Increasing nutrition standards for all school foods (i.e. fundraisers, sport events)
Pitt
Land Use Planning Encouraging use of land for agricultural purposes Ensuring that development does not damage farmland and maintains open spaces in urban areas for agriculture Safeguarding natural resources
e.g.: urban agriculture Boston passed new zoning code to increase urban agriculture (see page 12): Baltimore has worked to increase urban agriculture by Updating zoning ordinances to permit urban ag Partnering with farmers to develop vacant and underutilized properties for urban agriculture Offering a tax credit for urban ag land use
Farm to Institution Local farmers selling to: Schools Government agencies Hospitals Prisons These institutions get fresher, healthier food and promotes the local economy
e.g.: procurement preference General types of procurement laws: Preference: directs state entities to prefer local food products over out-of-state food Target/Benchmark: sets up a target for the amount of food that will be purchased from local producers Tracking: creates process for states to measure how much food is purchased locally by institutions Incentives: reward institutions that purchase locally
e.g.: Cleveland, OH Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Food Policy Coalition in Cleveland, OH successfully advocated for a local purchasing ordinance, which provides a 2% price preference on all applicable City contracts for companies that are locally based, sustainable, or purchase at least 20% of their food regionally
Food Safety and Processing Food safety is crucial to protect public health, but can have high compliance costs and difficult regulatory obligations Food processing can help to aggregate local agricultural products and create more value for farmers, but comes along with new food safety rules
Examples Vermont authorized and funded mobile berry flash-freezing and poultry slaughter units Cottage Foods Laws Most states (48 states) allow for cottage food operations
Food Waste 40% of the food produced in the 40% of the food U.S. goes uneaten. produced in the U.S. goes uneaten, Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic
People 12% of American families are food insecure. A household of 6 loses more than $2,250 a year on wasted food. Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic
Examples Date Label Reform Liability protections for food donations Tax Incentives for food donations Organic waste bans & waste recycling laws
Policy v. Program Short-term intervention to a problem Uncertainty around money Uncertainty around leadership Sustainability? Person-specific Long-term structural Entrenched Ideally, coordination and funding structures are addressed Anyone can/must do it
Policy or Program? Weekend backpack program Cooking classes in schools and communities School gardens Gleaning Warning labels on billboards Education campaigns around soda
Questions