community and regional food systems project: year one and beyond!
DESCRIPTION
This presentation is about the first year of the Community and Regional Food Systems project, which is a USDA-funded research project focused on determining the characteristics and functions of a healthy local/regional food system and how they contribute to increased community food security. This presentation was originally presented at the 6th Annual Wisconsin Local Food Summit by Lindsey Day Farnsworth and Anne Pfeiffer of UW-Madison.TRANSCRIPT
Year 1
and Beyond…
Discussion
• What innovations in the community and regional food system have you observed?
– Where?– By whom?
• To what extent is your work already integrated among several of these fields?
• What activities/innovations have the potential to be scaled up (or down)?
• Does the framework resonate with your work?
• What tools do you need to advance your integrated food system work?
CRFS Project Overview
• Five year project funded by USDA-NIFA (National Institute of Food and Agriculture)
• Integrated Project: research, education, and outreach
• People: researchers, producers, advocates, educators, lenders, policy-makers, and more
Central Research Question
What are the characteristics and functions of a healthy CRFS and how do/can they contribute to increased community food security?
Vision
• Understand and test what contributes to the success of CRFS
• Develop an assessment toolkit and training programs
• Enable other locales around the country to build healthy food systems.
Education• PEOPLE program• College internships• Graduate
practicums
Outreach• Growing Power
– workshops and trainings
• University Extension– Peer network– Train-the-trainer
curriculum– Project evaluation
and community assessment
– Appropriate, accessible resources
Research• Characterize complex
urban food systems • Refine, validate,
implement the framework
• Evaluate in and with communities
– Enhance communications
– Identify innovations– Identify opportunities
for expansion and improvement
Integrated Components
Anticipated Outcomes of CRFS project
• Dynamic, useful framework– Enhance understanding between researchers, communities, advocates– Identify community-based innovations and promote successful strategies– Create tools for community self-assessment– Understand the intricacies and dynamics of CRFS and how they affect food security
• Youth who are knowledgeable and inspired by CRFS
• Trained participants in CRFS – Inclusive and targeted training: growers, processors, distributors, marketers, lenders,
advocates, etc.– Tools and methods for community self-assessment– Disseminating successful strategies and innovations
Available
Affordable
Appropriate
Accessible
Sustainable
Characteristics
Food Productio
n
Social Relation
sEconomic
sLaw and
PolicySupply Chains
landsuitability
land tenure& economics
agriculturalsystems
transportation& logistics
markets andmarketing
business models& management
capital andlabor
community &cultural relations
legal & politicalenvironment
food & nutritioneducation
food processing& quality control
Nutrition &
Health
diet and food
behaviorexercise and health care
Tools, metrics, models
to understand
and relate to…
to influence
Food Security Framework
PRODUCTION
• Backyard gardens and orchards
• Community gardens
• Non-profit and community organizations
• Commercial production– Urban– Peri-urban
Range of Production Scales
• Land availability and affordability
• Long-term stability
• Land use transitions– Hunger Task Force– Troy Gardens
Land Tenure
• Soil Quality– soil compaction– soil contamination – e.g., lead,
PAHs– Compost production-variable
quality
• Environment– water, solar access– Infrastructure development
• Location– Proximity to markets– Public transportation and
communityLand Suitability
• Vertical farms
• Use of non-traditional spaces
• Seek high production rate/area
• Small space makes crop rotation and disease and pest management challenging.
Innovations on Limited Land
Hybridization in business models and supply chain configuration reflect:• Scalar variation• Desire to balance social, environmental & profit goals
The fair pricing dilemma:Business models that maximize farmer profits often make products too expensive for low-income consumers
Growing Power vision statement: “Inspiring communities to build sustainable food systems that are equitable and ecologically sound, creating a just world, one food-secure community at a time”
Supply chain & economics
Need for aggregation & distribution systems for small and midsize producers• Food hubs and incubators• Scale-appropriate transportation &
logistics– Traceability– Temperature-controlled storage– Efficient route-planning
InfrastructureGraphic courtesy of Local Dirt: localdirt.com
Infrastructure
Need for infrastructure and distributionsystems that accommodate small-
midsizebuyers:
• Challenges for corner store initiatives
– Purchase volume & price points– SNAP & WIC implementation– Cooler storage & display – Marketing & merchandising– Façade improvements
www.healthycornerstores.org
Innovations in infrastructure and businessSUPPLY-SIDEOrganization Location Business
modelPhysical infrastructure
Activities
Sweet Water Organics & Sweet Water Foundation
Milwaukee, IL Non-profit & for-profit partners
Former crane factory Produces and sells fish & vegetables, provides interdisciplinary sustainability programming
The Plant Chicago, IL LLC business incubator
Former meat-processing plant
Brewery, food/ag business incubator, research and educational space
5th Season Co-op
Viroqua, WI cooperative Former manufacturing plant
Produce aggregation, processing, storage and distribution food & value-added food products
DEMAND-SIDEOrganization / Project
Location Business model
Physical infrastructure
Activities
Fondy Food Center
Milwaukee, WI Non-profit Formerly city owned & operated farmers’ market structure, leased private farmland
Farmers’ market, cooking-based nutrition education, leases a farm for low-income growers
Around the Corner to Better Health
Milwaukee, WI Private, non-profit, & public sector partners
Independently-owned corner stores
Façade & cold chain infrastructure improvements, marketing and supply chain development
Social relations, Health & nutrition
Social & cultural relations• Food security in urban U.S. is largely an issue of race and class• Dismantling racism trainings, Growing Food & Justice Initiative
Some factors affecting consumption of whole foods• Accessibility, availability, appeal of healthy food• Food culture• Culinary knowledge • Time/convenience
• Production subsidies and standards, regulation of food processing and transport, and publicly funded food assistance
• Federal level: – Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act– Farm Bill
• Many innovations in CRFS are occurring at the local level
Law and policy
Goats at Growing Power, Milwaukee, WI
Innovations in the legal & political environmentPOLICY Land use
controlsEconomic development incentives
Licensing & regulation
Programs & services
COMPONENTProduction Urban
Agriculture ordinances
Local food procurement policies
Permit on-site produce sales at market gardens
Vegetable gardening classes & resources
Processing Industrial retention via zoning & comprehensive planning
Agricultural processing renaissance zones
Promote laws permitting limited sales of home-processed foods
Provide cooking & food preservation classes
Distribution Flexible zoning for grocery stores in under-served areas
USDA “geographic preference” option increases local food in schools
Grocery store attraction incentives
Establish farmers’ markets on city-owned land
Consumption
Long-term leases for community gardens
CDBG funding to increase produce at corners stores
Streamline licensing requirements for farm markets & produce carts
EBT machines for WIC/SNAP at farmers’ markets
Resources & Waste Management
Align state/municipal composting land use regulations
Mandatory recycling and composting
Separate ag and solid waste regs/ permitting requirements
Municipal household composting program
Overarching Issues
• Management– Workforce– Inputs– Balancing social, environmental, financial goals
• Technical Assistance– Access to information– Skills and background
• Policy and Zoning– Limitations on infrastructure and production– Lack of coordination across scales and types of regulatory bodies
• Need for Evaluation– What types of CRFS initiatives and policies have proven successful? By whose standards?– What are appropriate measures of different CRFS goals?
Next steps
• Responsive Community Engagement Projects– Community driven– 3 month-1 year commitment
• Framework-based research– Community and stakeholder interviews– Field trials
• Training and education– Webinars– Workshops– Resource materials
YOUR THOUGHTS?
Discussion
• What innovations in the community and regional food system have you observed?
– Where?– By whom?
• To what extent is your work already integrated among several of these fields?
• What activities/innovations have the potential to be scaled up (or down)?
• Does the framework resonate with your work?
• What tools do you need to advance your integrated food system work?