Imagine a Regional Food System that Improves Health Outcomes2012 Spring ConferencePlenary Exercises

Activity OverviewObjectives:•Stimulate thinking about the market for healthy food and improved health outcomes•Explore the role of food hubs and other partners in shaping and responding to demand

Materials Needed

• Flip charts• Tape• Markers• 5x7 file cards or sticky notes• Handout with instructions for participants, for facilitators

Imagine…

You are free to use or modify these exercises to stimulate new conversations related to your work. The deeper you wish to go with each exercise and the more participants you have, the more time you should allow.

Introductions

Participants briefly introduce themselves (30 seconds or less), their organizations, their location, and the roles they play in their regional food/health system.

Exercise 1• Brainstorm - What activities or venues currently exist in your

region that get healthy food to people, especially people who are disadvantaged, at risk of malnutrition, or have health issues?

• Make a list of as many activities as you can on a flip chart. • Which activities have the greatest scale of impact in your

region?

Exercise 1 example: Deep South Group• Farmers Markets, especially with SNAP• Food banks with community gardening• New Roots-low income CSA with SNAP benefits, weekly box• Atlanta – Wholesome Wave match to SNAP $• Senior Centers selling using SNAP $• Gleaning – Society of St. Andrews• Farm to School• Food Corps – Food access in Schools• Childcare programs – CookJeff pre to Eat & Cook to Teach• School Gardens• Urban Agriculture• Global growers w/ refuge farmers, Refugee Ag Partnership

Program

Red = greatest potential to scale

Exercise 2

• Brainstorm- Who would benefit financially in your region from healthier people?• Make a list on a new page. Consider the costs of

unhealthiness and the benefits of health to society as well as individuals. • Put a check by those organizations that are already

involved as buyers or supporters of your regional food system. Be creative!

Exercise 2 example: Deep South Group• Financially disadvantaged folks• Health care providers• Public Health• Insurance companies (will lose money)• Employers benefit (some involved)• Pharmaceuticals (will lose money)• State government (will gain – up to national level)• Medicare (will gain)• Ag Chem companies (will lose money)• Farmers (will gain)• Fast Food companies (will lose)• Everyone/people• Families

Exercise 3 • Choose one group from Exercise 2 that is not already actively

engaged but would benefit from healthier people. • Imagine a role for them on the demand side of the market – as

buyers. For example, what if health insurance companies offered discounts to people who

take cooking classes, commit to cook healthy meals from scratch, and have improved check-ups over a certain period of time? What if major employers were sponsoring CSAs?

• Write the demand target group and the nature of their engagement on a card and put it on the table.

Exercise 3 examples: Deep South Group

• Fast Food businesses: Purchase locally

• All Southern state governments: Municipal governments spend all their money on local food

Exercise 4

• Break larger group into groups of 2-4 people• Sketch out a Value Chain to meet demand• Work backwards from the demand side. What

could a supply or value chain look like that responds to this demand?

*Cards that represent functions and players in a value chain can be prepped ahead of time with lots of blanks for people to use.

Exercise 4 Cont’d• Who else would have to be involved? • Look at the answers to Exercise #1 as well as your own

experience. Consider organizations already involved in the food system as well as unusual suspects (e.g. law enforcement; landlords; waste haulers; government programs; etc.)

Use cards to “build” the value chain collectively. One function and/or organization per card.

Examples of Value Chain Actors

Fast Food Value ChainPizza Hut (Insert Fast

Food company here)

Existing Distribution

Infrastructure (Sysco, Etc.)

Local Food aggregators

Farms

Government Tax Credits

1. Increase processing infrastructure

2. Standardizing local quality control

3. Storage4. Increase supply5. What does the

link look like to the buyer?

6. Season extension

Change policies1.Tax credits to buy local2.Earmark EBT toward healthier choices3.Financial incentives for activities to promote healthy options4.Reduction for subsidies5.Healthy choices act in regards to calories

Food Hubs1.Aggregators2.Distribution3.Processing4.Increased Funding for consumer education on a local level

Economic DevelopersCreate barriers to entry for fast food outlets that aren’t sourcing fresh local

Exercise 4 Discussion Questions• Where are the biggest gaps in the value chain you have

sketched out? • Where is there a missing activity? • Where is there a missing organization? • Which of the gaps are appropriate to be filled by a food hub?• Who would the hub need to partner with to make it work?• What kind(s) of assistance would a food hub need to fill these

gaps?

State Institutions Value Chain*

*Goal: All Southern State Municipal governments

spend all their money on local food

Farmers: •At scale•Diversity of producers•Cooperatively organized

Trainers/Extension Research•Crop and livestock training and education

Input Suppliers

Marketers

Landowners

Processors

Government•Health Department•Economic development

Food Hubs•Infrastructure•Aggregation•Distribution

Business Development for producers

Media (Education of consumers)

Exercise 4 Discussion Questions• How much is already in place and what would have to be

created? Look at the answers to Exercise #1

• It is ok to make assumptions as you go along; the facilitator should try to capture those assumptions and write them down to keep the group on the same page.

• What would have to change in the food system, including policies, to respond to this demand?

• What role, if any, would food hubs have in those changes?

Exercise 5

Share Results with the Regional Group •Hear report backs from each group that has sketched out a value chain. •Describe the demand you imagined.•What new or unusual suspects did you engage in the value chain?•Where did you see major gaps?•What ah-has did they have? Capture these on a flip chart.

Report Back• What did you discover about the appropriate

role for food hubs and the possible roles for other partners?

• What did you find that you really need to know more about?

• What was the best idea you heard?

Deep South Conclusions

1. Opportunity to work with Fast Food and State institutions at macro and micro level

2. Food hubs and their networks are natural bridges3. Where are the market opportunities and what are

their current capacities for production?4. Plugging into existing fast food infrastructure5. State economic development $ (tax credits)

dedicated to developing local food businesses and agribusiness