SlideShare ist ein Scribd-Unternehmen logo
1 von 60
Food and Agriculture Policy
      Collaborative
 Policies That Promote Healthy Food
       and Healthy Economies

          January 25, 2013
Healthy Food,
          Healthy Economies
A session to explore the how efforts to improve food
security and access to healthy, local foods can
strengthen our communities. Speakers will present
information and data to help you make the case in
your own community. Central questions:

• How does policy shape our food systems?
• How does access to healthy food and adequate
  purchasing power contribute to strong local
  economies?
FEATURED SPEAKERS

Judith Bell                  Kathleen Fitzgerald
President                    Consultant
PolicyLink                   Fair Food Network



Alexandra Ashbrook           Helen Dombalis
Director                     Policy Associate
D.C. Hunger Solutions        National Sustainable
                             Agriculture Coalition
The Farm Bill
• Primary piece of agriculture
  and food policy legislation

• Covers many issues, ranging
  from hunger issues in
  America to price supports for
  large crops

• Reauthorized roughly every
  five years

• Farm Bill legislation dates
  back to the 1930s
Farm Bill Goals
    from the Beginning (1930)
• Ensure a stable and affordable food supply
• Protect farmers from price volatility
• Provide a food safety net for the poor
• Support farm production and rural
  development
• Conserve natural resources
• Create new sources of energy
Farm Bill 101: Distribution of
   Mandatory Spending
The Farm Bill and Food
The biggest drivers of poor diet are all
       regulated by the Farm Bill




  *Graphic produced by Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
Characteristics of a
       Healthy Food System
• Nutritious food is affordable and accessible
• System supports the production of
  nutritious, fresh food
Characteristics of a Healthy
         Food System
• Food is produced in ways that does not harm
  workers or the environment

                       • Production systems
                         create and sustain
                         jobs and build wealth
                         in rural and urban
                         communities
Farm Bill 101:
   Congressional Committees

• Authorizing Committees: write the Farm Bill
  – House Committee on Agriculture
  – Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and
    Forestry


• Appropriations Committees: determine how
  much funding should be allocated for specific
  programs during each fiscal year
Farm Bill: Key Players
• Agribusiness Lobby   • International Trade and
• Anti-Hunger            Globalization
  Advocates            • Renewable Energy
• Nutrition/Public     • Government Agencies
  Health               • Organic Groups
• Community Food       • Sustainable Ag
  Security
• Conservation/
  Environmental
  Groups
2013 Farm Bill


At some point this year, the Congress
will begin to debate the next Farm Bill.
The actual timing and the contents of a
   proposed Farm Bill are uncertain.
Food and Agriculture
           Policy Collaborative
Widespread support across disciplines and among
diverse sectors to include the following in the next
Farm Bill:
   •   Healthy Food Financing Initiative
   •   SNAP
   •   SNAP Incentive Programs
   •   Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems
Strengthening the Local and
Regional Farm and Food System
         Infrastructure

    Helen Dombalis, Policy Associate
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
Who We Are and What We Do
• The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
  (NSAC) is an alliance of grassroots organizations
  that advocates for federal policy reform to advance
  the sustainability of agriculture, food systems,
  natural resources, and rural communities.

• More than 90 member organizations

• Policy and grassroots work

• Issue committees including Marketing, Food
  Systems, and Rural Development
NSAC’s Regional Partner:
Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group

• Southern SAWG was founded in 1991 to
  foster a movement toward a more
  sustainable farming and food system that
  is ecologically sound, economically
  viable, socially just and humane.
Overview of Our Work
• Increasing the number of
  small and mid-sized family
  farmers producing
  sustainable food

• Improve the long-term
  economic viability of
  sustainable and organic
  farming

• Strengthen rural and urban
  communities through food-
  and agriculture-based
  development
Local and Regional Food Systems
• Skyrocketing consumer demand for local
  food that agricultural producers and
  entrepreneurs are striving to meet

• Despite these opportunities, significant
  infrastructure, marketing, and information
  barriers are limiting growth
Supply, Demand, and the Supply
            Chain
• Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT)

• Farm to School

• Infrastructure
Beginning and Socially Disadvantaged
       Farmers and Ranchers
                     • Over half of all new
                       jobs created in the
                       most rural areas
                       come from
                       small, non-farm
                       business ventures.
                     • The average age of
                       an American
                       agricultural
                       producer today is
                       57
BFRDP and 2501
BFRDP                          2501
• A competitive grant          • Outreach and Assistance
  administered by NIFA           for Socially Disadvantaged
• Funds                          Farmers and Ranchers
  education, extension, outr   • The goal of 2501 is to
  each, and technical            assure that these farmers
  assistance initiatives         and ranchers have
  directed at helping            opportunities to successfully
  beginning farmers and          acquire, own, operate, and
  ranchers                       retain farms and ranches
                                 and equitably participate in
                                 all USDA programs.
Connecting the Dots
• Defending and improving
  SNAP’s structure, benefits
  and eligibility can yield
  increased income for
  farmers

• Incentivizing healthy, local
  food purchases similarly
  provides more opportunities
  for farmers to sell their
  produce

• Healthy food financing
  establishes additional
  avenues through which
  farmers can market
What You Can Do!
• Sign up for NSAC action alerts:
  http://sustainableagriculture.net/take-
  action/

• Sign up for NSAC blogs:
  http://sustainableagriculture.net/blog/

• Follow us on Facebook
Bridging the Gap
Through SNAP Incentives
         Kate Fitzgerald
     for Fair Food Network
Linked Challenges
• Dwindling revenue at family-owned, small and
  mid-sized farms

• Few good food
  options for low-income
  consumers
SNAP Incentives Address
     Both Challenges
FARMERS:
  • Increase income
  • Develop loyal new customer base

SNAP consumers:
  • Use their benefits at farmers markets
  • Double benefit value
  • Buy healthy, fresh, local food
And Stimulate Local Economies
• Farmers spend dollars in rural communities
• Farmers hire more labor
• Farmers markets create
  new jobs (4 on average)
• Businesses near markets
  increase sales
Double Up Food Bucks
  How it Works
Measuring the Effect
In 2012, Michigan farmers received almost $2 million
in increased SNAP and DUFB sales.
Double Up Food Bucks
Response from Farmers
Double Up Food Bucks
Response from Customers
Double Up Food Bucks
   Quantifiable Success
Midwest Farmers Markets – Total 2012 SNAP Sales




             Total Sales: $2,273,681

                                                  Source: USDA
Double Up Food Bucks
  Quantifiable Success
Michigan Farmers Markets – SNAP Sales Growth
Expanding the Effect
SNAP use in farmers markets as % of total SNAP food
purchases by state.
SNAP Incentive Programs
• Proven success
• Next steps to scaling
   – SNAP Incentives in the Farm Bill
   – Nationwide adoption
SNAP Incentives
lay the foundation for improving healthy food access for
low-income families and the future of rural communities.
Fair Food Network
For more information and updates:
        • Web: www.fairfoodnetwork.org
        • Email: info@fairfoodnetwork.org
        • Phone: (734) 213-3999
        • YouTube: View educational and
          promotional videos from FFN
          www.youtube.com/fairfoodnetwork
        • Facebook:
          www.facebook.com/FairFoodNetwork
        • Twitter: @fairfoodnetwork
Southern SSAWG




SNAP and the Farm Bill
          Alex Ashbrook
D.C. Hunger Solutions, an initiative of
the Food Research and Action Center
         January 25, 2013
American households struggling
         to afford food
  “Have there been times in the last 12 months when
  you did not have enough money to buy food that you
  or your family needed?” (Gallup)


Households answering yes in the 1st 6 months of 2012:
18.2% nationally
Worst 10 states:
MS, AL, DE, GA, NV, AR, OK, TN, WV, LA.
Food hardship in virtually every
    Congressional district (2010-2011)

  • 48 Congressional districts >/= 25%
  • 162 Congressional districts >/= 20%
  • 323 Congressional districts >/= 15%


Median Congressional district = 18.2%
Median House Agriculture Committee member
district = 18.3%
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
   Program (SNAP)(“food stamps”)

Number of beneficiaries each month:
  •   1996 – 25.5 million
  •   2000 - 17.2 million
  •   2007 – 26.5 million
  •   2009 – 33.5 million
  •   October 2013 – 47.5 million
Benefit allotments and
            redemptions
• Maximum $668/month, family of four (Thrifty Food
  Plan)
  (Low cost food plan = $822/month)

• Average SNAP benefit: $4.50/day/person

• EBT Cards

• 93% of benefits redeemed at
  supermarkets, superstores, grocery
  stores, specialty food stores
Strengths of SNAP - General
• Reduces hunger/food insecurity

• Structural – responsive to
      economic need

• Targeted:
   – 93% of benefits  households below poverty line
   – 85% of benefits  households with seniors, people
     with disabilities, or children
   – 47% of recipients are children

• Helps working families as well as unemployed – 41%
  of participants are in households with earnings
Strengths of SNAP - Economic
• Stimulates economy: each SNAP $1
  produces $1.73 - $1.79 of economic activity
• Counter-cyclical
• Creates jobs: $1 billion SNAP  9,800 to
  19,800 for FTEs plus PTs
• Builds on mainstream commerce
• Reduces poverty
• Frees up family resources for other basic
  needs
Strengths of SNAP - Nutrition
             Impacts
• Raises food expenditures; improves
  nutrient availability

• Improves child health

• May reduce obesity

• Across broad food categories, little
  difference between food choices/
  expenditures of low-income and high-
  income families
Farm Bill
• President’s Budget (FY 2013):
  - restores Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act
       benefits allotment cut
  - eases access for unemployed workers

• Senate Bill:
  - cuts $4.5 billion (eliminates coordination of
       SNAP and LIHEAP)

• House Bill:
  - Cuts $16 billion
      o Senate LIHEAP provision
      o reduces allowable assets
      o reduces allowable income
Learn More…
Follow developments on FRAC website
     – http://frac.org
Sign up for FRAC alerts
     – http://bit.ly/9FzB66
Follow us on Facebook
     – facebook.com/foodresearchandactioncenter
Follow us on Twitter
     – twitter.com/#!/fractweets
Healthy Food
 Financing Initiative
   Increasing Food Access
 Improving Health Outcomes
Creating Economic Opportunity

    Judith Bell, President
          PolicyLink
A Successful Model:
        PA Fresh Food Financing Initiative
•   88 new or expanded healthy
    food retail projects

•   $73.2 million in loans and $12.1
    million in grants to healthy food
    retailers

•   $190 million in total project costs
    resulting from $30 million in state
    seed money

•   400,000 residents with increased
    access to healthy food

•   5,000 jobs created or retained
State & Local Initiatives

• NJ Food Access Initiative
• CA FreshWorks Fund
• IL Fresh Food Fund
• New Orleans Fresh Food
  Retail Incentive Fund
• NY Healthy Foods,
  Healthy Communities
  Fund
Healthy Food Financing Initiative
           A National Campaign
• Improve access to healthy
  food in low-
  income, underserved, rural, s
  uburban, & urban
  communities
• Support small business
  development, job creation
• Contribute to sustainable food
  system development
• Incent public-private
  partnerships

• $477 million in grants and tax
  credits already distributed
HFFI Federal Actions
A coordinated effort to increase access to
healthy foods in underserved urban
& rural communities

Interagency group established in 2010
to guide implementation

Fiscal year 2013 budget request:
 Total of $285 million through:
   • Treasury: $25 million
   • HHS: $10 million
   • NMTC Program: potential for $250 million
     (or more) available
HFFI Impact
• $ 77 million awarded to 47 CDCs & CDFIs from across the
  country awarded HFFI Funds

• More than $400 million in New Market Tax Credits allocated to
  CDEs to support a diversity of food access projects


Diversity of projects funded:
• Supermarkets, grocery stores, food hubs, farmers markets,
  CSAs, corner stores, food processors, distribution centers

• For-profit businesses, cooperatives, non-profit organizations
A Sampling of HFFI Projects
Food and Agro Processing Center
Brightwood Development Corporation
Porta del Sol region , PR


Northside Community Food Hub
Butterfly Foundation
Spartanburg, SC

Agriculture Enterprise Initiative
Coastal Enterprises
Portland ME

Healthy Foods Cooperative Communities
Cooperative Fund of New England
Amherst, MA
HFFI & the Farm Bill

• Enhance USDA’s ability
  to improve access and
  demand for healthy
  foods by providing one-
  stop financing for healthy
  food retailers.

• Support a range of
  locally-determined
  strategies designed to
  strengthen regional and
  local food systems
HFFI Farm Bill Proposal
           • Selects a CDFI using a competitive process to
             manage a National Fund
           • Oversees & monitors program implementation
 USDA

           • Raises private capital nationally
           • Funds local partnership using a competitive
             process
A CDFI     • Provides TA to local public/private partnerships

           • Develops investment strategy & raises local
             funding
 Local     • Evaluates and finances local projects and
             provides TA
Partners
HFFI Benefits

•   Market opportunities for
    local farmers
•   Jobs & small business
    development
•   Revitalized neighborhoods
•   Better health outcomes
For more HFFI information and updates:
    www.policylink.org/KeepMeInformed/HFFI
•   PolicyLink is a national research and action institute advancing economic and social
    equity by Lifting Up What Works ®. www.policylink.org
•   Contact: judith@policylink.org

•   The Food Trust, founded in 1992, is a nonprofit organization working to ensure that
    everyone has access to affordable, nutritious food. www.thefoodtrust.org
•   Contact: jweidman@thefoodtrust.org

•   The Reinvestment Fund, a community development financial institution, invests in
    distressed markets and conducts research on policy issues that influence
    neighborhood revitalization & economic growth. www.trfund.com
•   Contact: patricia.smith@trfund.com
For more information:
           Judith Bell, President
                 PolicyLink
            jbell@policylink.org

             Helen Dombalis
  National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
   hdombalis@sustainableagriculture.net

            Kathleen Fitzgerald
             Fair Food Network
      kathleenfitzgerald08@gmail.com

           Alexandra Ashbrook
           DC Hunger Solutions
         aashbrook@dchunger.org

  Patricia L. Smith, Senior Policy Advisor
          The Reinvestment Fund
         Patricia.Smith@trfund.com

Weitere ähnliche Inhalte

Was ist angesagt?

RAFI Annual Report 2013
RAFI Annual Report 2013RAFI Annual Report 2013
RAFI Annual Report 2013RAFI-USA
 
Bo agriculture restructuring (ciat meeting 20-feb2014-hn)
Bo  agriculture restructuring (ciat meeting 20-feb2014-hn)Bo  agriculture restructuring (ciat meeting 20-feb2014-hn)
Bo agriculture restructuring (ciat meeting 20-feb2014-hn)CIAT
 
Lawline: Counseling the Local Food Movement Part 1
Lawline:  Counseling the Local Food Movement Part 1Lawline:  Counseling the Local Food Movement Part 1
Lawline: Counseling the Local Food Movement Part 1Cari Rincker
 
Equity Letter on the 2012 Farm Bill
Equity Letter on the 2012 Farm BillEquity Letter on the 2012 Farm Bill
Equity Letter on the 2012 Farm BillRural Coalition
 
BMGF Agricultural-Development-Strategy-Overview
BMGF Agricultural-Development-Strategy-OverviewBMGF Agricultural-Development-Strategy-Overview
BMGF Agricultural-Development-Strategy-OverviewCSISA
 
2012 Farm Bill forums - MO 5-1-11
2012 Farm Bill forums - MO 5-1-112012 Farm Bill forums - MO 5-1-11
2012 Farm Bill forums - MO 5-1-11Brad Jordahl Redlin
 
Leveraging Smallholder Agriculture for Development
Leveraging Smallholder Agriculture for DevelopmentLeveraging Smallholder Agriculture for Development
Leveraging Smallholder Agriculture for DevelopmentShenggen Fan
 
Understanding he Farming and Health Crisis in Ontario through looking at al
Understanding he Farming and Health Crisis in Ontario through looking at alUnderstanding he Farming and Health Crisis in Ontario through looking at al
Understanding he Farming and Health Crisis in Ontario through looking at alKatarina Zlatanovic
 
From Protection to Production: Exploring the linkages and strengthening coor...
From Protection to Production: Exploring the linkages and strengthening coor...From Protection to Production: Exploring the linkages and strengthening coor...
From Protection to Production: Exploring the linkages and strengthening coor...SIANI
 
Microfinance project orgc 201
Microfinance project orgc 201Microfinance project orgc 201
Microfinance project orgc 201boneill7
 
Organizing for our Collective Success Presented by the National Young Farmers...
Organizing for our Collective Success Presented by the National Young Farmers...Organizing for our Collective Success Presented by the National Young Farmers...
Organizing for our Collective Success Presented by the National Young Farmers...DiegoFooter
 
Food Policy and Livable Communities, Presentation 1
Food Policy and Livable Communities, Presentation 1Food Policy and Livable Communities, Presentation 1
Food Policy and Livable Communities, Presentation 1Trailnet
 
RAFI 2011 Annual Report
RAFI 2011 Annual ReportRAFI 2011 Annual Report
RAFI 2011 Annual ReportRAFI-USA
 
The Imperative of Extension: Lessons from Recent MEAS Experience
The Imperative of Extension: Lessons from Recent MEAS ExperienceThe Imperative of Extension: Lessons from Recent MEAS Experience
The Imperative of Extension: Lessons from Recent MEAS ExperienceMEAS
 
2014-08-local-food-coordinators
2014-08-local-food-coordinators2014-08-local-food-coordinators
2014-08-local-food-coordinatorsCarolyn Scherf
 
5-Climate Law and Governance- Strengthening Climate Justice Initiatives Focus...
5-Climate Law and Governance- Strengthening Climate Justice Initiatives Focus...5-Climate Law and Governance- Strengthening Climate Justice Initiatives Focus...
5-Climate Law and Governance- Strengthening Climate Justice Initiatives Focus...Kirit Shelat
 
Nevada Department of Agriculture's 2014-15 Biennial Report
Nevada Department of Agriculture's 2014-15 Biennial ReportNevada Department of Agriculture's 2014-15 Biennial Report
Nevada Department of Agriculture's 2014-15 Biennial ReportNevada Agriculture
 

Was ist angesagt? (20)

RAFI Annual Report 2013
RAFI Annual Report 2013RAFI Annual Report 2013
RAFI Annual Report 2013
 
Bo agriculture restructuring (ciat meeting 20-feb2014-hn)
Bo  agriculture restructuring (ciat meeting 20-feb2014-hn)Bo  agriculture restructuring (ciat meeting 20-feb2014-hn)
Bo agriculture restructuring (ciat meeting 20-feb2014-hn)
 
Lawline: Counseling the Local Food Movement Part 1
Lawline:  Counseling the Local Food Movement Part 1Lawline:  Counseling the Local Food Movement Part 1
Lawline: Counseling the Local Food Movement Part 1
 
Equity Letter on the 2012 Farm Bill
Equity Letter on the 2012 Farm BillEquity Letter on the 2012 Farm Bill
Equity Letter on the 2012 Farm Bill
 
BMGF Agricultural-Development-Strategy-Overview
BMGF Agricultural-Development-Strategy-OverviewBMGF Agricultural-Development-Strategy-Overview
BMGF Agricultural-Development-Strategy-Overview
 
2012 Farm Bill forums - MO 5-1-11
2012 Farm Bill forums - MO 5-1-112012 Farm Bill forums - MO 5-1-11
2012 Farm Bill forums - MO 5-1-11
 
Leveraging Smallholder Agriculture for Development
Leveraging Smallholder Agriculture for DevelopmentLeveraging Smallholder Agriculture for Development
Leveraging Smallholder Agriculture for Development
 
Understanding he Farming and Health Crisis in Ontario through looking at al
Understanding he Farming and Health Crisis in Ontario through looking at alUnderstanding he Farming and Health Crisis in Ontario through looking at al
Understanding he Farming and Health Crisis in Ontario through looking at al
 
From Protection to Production: Exploring the linkages and strengthening coor...
From Protection to Production: Exploring the linkages and strengthening coor...From Protection to Production: Exploring the linkages and strengthening coor...
From Protection to Production: Exploring the linkages and strengthening coor...
 
Microfinance project orgc 201
Microfinance project orgc 201Microfinance project orgc 201
Microfinance project orgc 201
 
Agriculture Research and Poverty Reduction: Pathways and Drivers in South Asia
Agriculture Research and Poverty Reduction: Pathways and Drivers in South AsiaAgriculture Research and Poverty Reduction: Pathways and Drivers in South Asia
Agriculture Research and Poverty Reduction: Pathways and Drivers in South Asia
 
Organizing for our Collective Success Presented by the National Young Farmers...
Organizing for our Collective Success Presented by the National Young Farmers...Organizing for our Collective Success Presented by the National Young Farmers...
Organizing for our Collective Success Presented by the National Young Farmers...
 
Introduction to Tata Trusts
Introduction to Tata TrustsIntroduction to Tata Trusts
Introduction to Tata Trusts
 
Food Policy and Livable Communities, Presentation 1
Food Policy and Livable Communities, Presentation 1Food Policy and Livable Communities, Presentation 1
Food Policy and Livable Communities, Presentation 1
 
RAFI 2011 Annual Report
RAFI 2011 Annual ReportRAFI 2011 Annual Report
RAFI 2011 Annual Report
 
The Imperative of Extension: Lessons from Recent MEAS Experience
The Imperative of Extension: Lessons from Recent MEAS ExperienceThe Imperative of Extension: Lessons from Recent MEAS Experience
The Imperative of Extension: Lessons from Recent MEAS Experience
 
2014-08-local-food-coordinators
2014-08-local-food-coordinators2014-08-local-food-coordinators
2014-08-local-food-coordinators
 
Concept note e
Concept note eConcept note e
Concept note e
 
5-Climate Law and Governance- Strengthening Climate Justice Initiatives Focus...
5-Climate Law and Governance- Strengthening Climate Justice Initiatives Focus...5-Climate Law and Governance- Strengthening Climate Justice Initiatives Focus...
5-Climate Law and Governance- Strengthening Climate Justice Initiatives Focus...
 
Nevada Department of Agriculture's 2014-15 Biennial Report
Nevada Department of Agriculture's 2014-15 Biennial ReportNevada Department of Agriculture's 2014-15 Biennial Report
Nevada Department of Agriculture's 2014-15 Biennial Report
 

Ähnlich wie Southern SAWG- convergence presentation

Cultivating thriving communities
Cultivating thriving communitiesCultivating thriving communities
Cultivating thriving communitiesMichael Newbold
 
Integrating Nutrition in Agriculture in Senegal
Integrating Nutrition in Agriculture in SenegalIntegrating Nutrition in Agriculture in Senegal
Integrating Nutrition in Agriculture in SenegalTeresa Borelli
 
Case Studies of Various Funding Support for Sustainable Local Food Systems in...
Case Studies of Various Funding Support for Sustainable Local Food Systems in...Case Studies of Various Funding Support for Sustainable Local Food Systems in...
Case Studies of Various Funding Support for Sustainable Local Food Systems in...Community Development Society
 
Mrs Amy Coughenour: Achieving Food Security through Nutrition Led Agriculture...
Mrs Amy Coughenour: Achieving Food Security through Nutrition Led Agriculture...Mrs Amy Coughenour: Achieving Food Security through Nutrition Led Agriculture...
Mrs Amy Coughenour: Achieving Food Security through Nutrition Led Agriculture...cooperatives
 
Healthy Food Access: Lessons From The Field, CCMA 2013
Healthy Food Access: Lessons From The Field, CCMA 2013Healthy Food Access: Lessons From The Field, CCMA 2013
Healthy Food Access: Lessons From The Field, CCMA 2013NFCACoops
 
Food Co-ops: Making Healthy, Local Food More Accessible, NOFA SC, 8.11.13
Food Co-ops: Making Healthy, Local Food More Accessible, NOFA SC, 8.11.13Food Co-ops: Making Healthy, Local Food More Accessible, NOFA SC, 8.11.13
Food Co-ops: Making Healthy, Local Food More Accessible, NOFA SC, 8.11.13NFCACoops
 
Healthy Food Access: Creating a Welcoming Food Co-op, NFCA Fall Gathering, 9....
Healthy Food Access: Creating a Welcoming Food Co-op, NFCA Fall Gathering, 9....Healthy Food Access: Creating a Welcoming Food Co-op, NFCA Fall Gathering, 9....
Healthy Food Access: Creating a Welcoming Food Co-op, NFCA Fall Gathering, 9....NFCACoops
 
Feed and Seed: Reconnecting Farms, Markets and Tables
Feed and Seed: Reconnecting Farms, Markets and TablesFeed and Seed: Reconnecting Farms, Markets and Tables
Feed and Seed: Reconnecting Farms, Markets and TablesCommunity Development Society
 
Food Assistance and Institutional Demand: Supporting Smallholder Farmers to F...
Food Assistance and Institutional Demand: Supporting Smallholder Farmers to F...Food Assistance and Institutional Demand: Supporting Smallholder Farmers to F...
Food Assistance and Institutional Demand: Supporting Smallholder Farmers to F...UNDP Policy Centre
 
The Puget Sound's Food Policy Councils - From City to State - Seattle Farm Bi...
The Puget Sound's Food Policy Councils - From City to State - Seattle Farm Bi...The Puget Sound's Food Policy Councils - From City to State - Seattle Farm Bi...
The Puget Sound's Food Policy Councils - From City to State - Seattle Farm Bi...Community Food Security Coalition
 
Farm to Institution Purchasing - Tri State Local Food Summit 2017
Farm to Institution Purchasing - Tri State Local Food Summit 2017 Farm to Institution Purchasing - Tri State Local Food Summit 2017
Farm to Institution Purchasing - Tri State Local Food Summit 2017 Carolyn Scherf
 
A Presentation on Sandhills Farm to Table Case Study
A Presentation on Sandhills Farm to Table Case StudyA Presentation on Sandhills Farm to Table Case Study
A Presentation on Sandhills Farm to Table Case StudyMatson Consulting
 
Biological farming vs industrial tech farming
Biological farming vs industrial tech farmingBiological farming vs industrial tech farming
Biological farming vs industrial tech farmingFarmFoodAndHealth
 
Mainstreaming gender and nutrition into agricultural extension services
Mainstreaming gender and nutrition into agricultural extension servicesMainstreaming gender and nutrition into agricultural extension services
Mainstreaming gender and nutrition into agricultural extension servicesFaith Okiror
 
From Farm to Fork: The 20 year journey of the Center for Environmental Farmin...
From Farm to Fork: The 20 year journey of the Center for Environmental Farmin...From Farm to Fork: The 20 year journey of the Center for Environmental Farmin...
From Farm to Fork: The 20 year journey of the Center for Environmental Farmin...CIAT
 

Ähnlich wie Southern SAWG- convergence presentation (20)

Cultivating thriving communities
Cultivating thriving communitiesCultivating thriving communities
Cultivating thriving communities
 
Integrating Nutrition in Agriculture in Senegal
Integrating Nutrition in Agriculture in SenegalIntegrating Nutrition in Agriculture in Senegal
Integrating Nutrition in Agriculture in Senegal
 
Case Studies of Various Funding Support for Sustainable Local Food Systems in...
Case Studies of Various Funding Support for Sustainable Local Food Systems in...Case Studies of Various Funding Support for Sustainable Local Food Systems in...
Case Studies of Various Funding Support for Sustainable Local Food Systems in...
 
Mrs Amy Coughenour: Achieving Food Security through Nutrition Led Agriculture...
Mrs Amy Coughenour: Achieving Food Security through Nutrition Led Agriculture...Mrs Amy Coughenour: Achieving Food Security through Nutrition Led Agriculture...
Mrs Amy Coughenour: Achieving Food Security through Nutrition Led Agriculture...
 
Integrating Gender in Food Security Programming: The Feed the Future Initiative
Integrating Gender in Food Security Programming: The Feed the Future InitiativeIntegrating Gender in Food Security Programming: The Feed the Future Initiative
Integrating Gender in Food Security Programming: The Feed the Future Initiative
 
Healthy Food Access: Lessons From The Field, CCMA 2013
Healthy Food Access: Lessons From The Field, CCMA 2013Healthy Food Access: Lessons From The Field, CCMA 2013
Healthy Food Access: Lessons From The Field, CCMA 2013
 
Food Co-ops: Making Healthy, Local Food More Accessible, NOFA SC, 8.11.13
Food Co-ops: Making Healthy, Local Food More Accessible, NOFA SC, 8.11.13Food Co-ops: Making Healthy, Local Food More Accessible, NOFA SC, 8.11.13
Food Co-ops: Making Healthy, Local Food More Accessible, NOFA SC, 8.11.13
 
Healthy Food Access: Creating a Welcoming Food Co-op, NFCA Fall Gathering, 9....
Healthy Food Access: Creating a Welcoming Food Co-op, NFCA Fall Gathering, 9....Healthy Food Access: Creating a Welcoming Food Co-op, NFCA Fall Gathering, 9....
Healthy Food Access: Creating a Welcoming Food Co-op, NFCA Fall Gathering, 9....
 
Feed and Seed: Reconnecting Farms, Markets and Tables
Feed and Seed: Reconnecting Farms, Markets and TablesFeed and Seed: Reconnecting Farms, Markets and Tables
Feed and Seed: Reconnecting Farms, Markets and Tables
 
Food Assistance and Institutional Demand: Supporting Smallholder Farmers to F...
Food Assistance and Institutional Demand: Supporting Smallholder Farmers to F...Food Assistance and Institutional Demand: Supporting Smallholder Farmers to F...
Food Assistance and Institutional Demand: Supporting Smallholder Farmers to F...
 
The Puget Sound's Food Policy Councils - From City to State - Seattle Farm Bi...
The Puget Sound's Food Policy Councils - From City to State - Seattle Farm Bi...The Puget Sound's Food Policy Councils - From City to State - Seattle Farm Bi...
The Puget Sound's Food Policy Councils - From City to State - Seattle Farm Bi...
 
The local food movement
The local food movementThe local food movement
The local food movement
 
Farm to Institution Purchasing - Tri State Local Food Summit 2017
Farm to Institution Purchasing - Tri State Local Food Summit 2017 Farm to Institution Purchasing - Tri State Local Food Summit 2017
Farm to Institution Purchasing - Tri State Local Food Summit 2017
 
Local foods
Local foodsLocal foods
Local foods
 
A Presentation on Sandhills Farm to Table Case Study
A Presentation on Sandhills Farm to Table Case StudyA Presentation on Sandhills Farm to Table Case Study
A Presentation on Sandhills Farm to Table Case Study
 
Biological farming vs industrial tech farming
Biological farming vs industrial tech farmingBiological farming vs industrial tech farming
Biological farming vs industrial tech farming
 
Mainstreaming gender and nutrition into agricultural extension services
Mainstreaming gender and nutrition into agricultural extension servicesMainstreaming gender and nutrition into agricultural extension services
Mainstreaming gender and nutrition into agricultural extension services
 
Local Farms, Food and Jobs Act_10-28-11
Local Farms, Food and Jobs Act_10-28-11 Local Farms, Food and Jobs Act_10-28-11
Local Farms, Food and Jobs Act_10-28-11
 
From Farm to Fork: The 20 year journey of the Center for Environmental Farmin...
From Farm to Fork: The 20 year journey of the Center for Environmental Farmin...From Farm to Fork: The 20 year journey of the Center for Environmental Farmin...
From Farm to Fork: The 20 year journey of the Center for Environmental Farmin...
 
SF&FS Session 6th March
SF&FS Session 6th MarchSF&FS Session 6th March
SF&FS Session 6th March
 

Southern SAWG- convergence presentation

  • 1. Food and Agriculture Policy Collaborative Policies That Promote Healthy Food and Healthy Economies January 25, 2013
  • 2. Healthy Food, Healthy Economies A session to explore the how efforts to improve food security and access to healthy, local foods can strengthen our communities. Speakers will present information and data to help you make the case in your own community. Central questions: • How does policy shape our food systems? • How does access to healthy food and adequate purchasing power contribute to strong local economies?
  • 3. FEATURED SPEAKERS Judith Bell Kathleen Fitzgerald President Consultant PolicyLink Fair Food Network Alexandra Ashbrook Helen Dombalis Director Policy Associate D.C. Hunger Solutions National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
  • 4. The Farm Bill • Primary piece of agriculture and food policy legislation • Covers many issues, ranging from hunger issues in America to price supports for large crops • Reauthorized roughly every five years • Farm Bill legislation dates back to the 1930s
  • 5. Farm Bill Goals from the Beginning (1930) • Ensure a stable and affordable food supply • Protect farmers from price volatility • Provide a food safety net for the poor • Support farm production and rural development • Conserve natural resources • Create new sources of energy
  • 6. Farm Bill 101: Distribution of Mandatory Spending
  • 7. The Farm Bill and Food The biggest drivers of poor diet are all regulated by the Farm Bill *Graphic produced by Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
  • 8. Characteristics of a Healthy Food System • Nutritious food is affordable and accessible • System supports the production of nutritious, fresh food
  • 9. Characteristics of a Healthy Food System • Food is produced in ways that does not harm workers or the environment • Production systems create and sustain jobs and build wealth in rural and urban communities
  • 10. Farm Bill 101: Congressional Committees • Authorizing Committees: write the Farm Bill – House Committee on Agriculture – Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry • Appropriations Committees: determine how much funding should be allocated for specific programs during each fiscal year
  • 11. Farm Bill: Key Players • Agribusiness Lobby • International Trade and • Anti-Hunger Globalization Advocates • Renewable Energy • Nutrition/Public • Government Agencies Health • Organic Groups • Community Food • Sustainable Ag Security • Conservation/ Environmental Groups
  • 12. 2013 Farm Bill At some point this year, the Congress will begin to debate the next Farm Bill. The actual timing and the contents of a proposed Farm Bill are uncertain.
  • 13.
  • 14. Food and Agriculture Policy Collaborative Widespread support across disciplines and among diverse sectors to include the following in the next Farm Bill: • Healthy Food Financing Initiative • SNAP • SNAP Incentive Programs • Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems
  • 15. Strengthening the Local and Regional Farm and Food System Infrastructure Helen Dombalis, Policy Associate National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
  • 16. Who We Are and What We Do • The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) is an alliance of grassroots organizations that advocates for federal policy reform to advance the sustainability of agriculture, food systems, natural resources, and rural communities. • More than 90 member organizations • Policy and grassroots work • Issue committees including Marketing, Food Systems, and Rural Development
  • 17. NSAC’s Regional Partner: Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group • Southern SAWG was founded in 1991 to foster a movement toward a more sustainable farming and food system that is ecologically sound, economically viable, socially just and humane.
  • 18. Overview of Our Work • Increasing the number of small and mid-sized family farmers producing sustainable food • Improve the long-term economic viability of sustainable and organic farming • Strengthen rural and urban communities through food- and agriculture-based development
  • 19. Local and Regional Food Systems • Skyrocketing consumer demand for local food that agricultural producers and entrepreneurs are striving to meet • Despite these opportunities, significant infrastructure, marketing, and information barriers are limiting growth
  • 20. Supply, Demand, and the Supply Chain • Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) • Farm to School • Infrastructure
  • 21. Beginning and Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers • Over half of all new jobs created in the most rural areas come from small, non-farm business ventures. • The average age of an American agricultural producer today is 57
  • 22. BFRDP and 2501 BFRDP 2501 • A competitive grant • Outreach and Assistance administered by NIFA for Socially Disadvantaged • Funds Farmers and Ranchers education, extension, outr • The goal of 2501 is to each, and technical assure that these farmers assistance initiatives and ranchers have directed at helping opportunities to successfully beginning farmers and acquire, own, operate, and ranchers retain farms and ranches and equitably participate in all USDA programs.
  • 23. Connecting the Dots • Defending and improving SNAP’s structure, benefits and eligibility can yield increased income for farmers • Incentivizing healthy, local food purchases similarly provides more opportunities for farmers to sell their produce • Healthy food financing establishes additional avenues through which farmers can market
  • 24. What You Can Do! • Sign up for NSAC action alerts: http://sustainableagriculture.net/take- action/ • Sign up for NSAC blogs: http://sustainableagriculture.net/blog/ • Follow us on Facebook
  • 25. Bridging the Gap Through SNAP Incentives Kate Fitzgerald for Fair Food Network
  • 26. Linked Challenges • Dwindling revenue at family-owned, small and mid-sized farms • Few good food options for low-income consumers
  • 27. SNAP Incentives Address Both Challenges FARMERS: • Increase income • Develop loyal new customer base SNAP consumers: • Use their benefits at farmers markets • Double benefit value • Buy healthy, fresh, local food
  • 28. And Stimulate Local Economies • Farmers spend dollars in rural communities • Farmers hire more labor • Farmers markets create new jobs (4 on average) • Businesses near markets increase sales
  • 29. Double Up Food Bucks How it Works
  • 30. Measuring the Effect In 2012, Michigan farmers received almost $2 million in increased SNAP and DUFB sales.
  • 31. Double Up Food Bucks Response from Farmers
  • 32. Double Up Food Bucks Response from Customers
  • 33. Double Up Food Bucks Quantifiable Success Midwest Farmers Markets – Total 2012 SNAP Sales Total Sales: $2,273,681 Source: USDA
  • 34. Double Up Food Bucks Quantifiable Success Michigan Farmers Markets – SNAP Sales Growth
  • 35. Expanding the Effect SNAP use in farmers markets as % of total SNAP food purchases by state.
  • 36. SNAP Incentive Programs • Proven success • Next steps to scaling – SNAP Incentives in the Farm Bill – Nationwide adoption
  • 37. SNAP Incentives lay the foundation for improving healthy food access for low-income families and the future of rural communities.
  • 38. Fair Food Network For more information and updates: • Web: www.fairfoodnetwork.org • Email: info@fairfoodnetwork.org • Phone: (734) 213-3999 • YouTube: View educational and promotional videos from FFN www.youtube.com/fairfoodnetwork • Facebook: www.facebook.com/FairFoodNetwork • Twitter: @fairfoodnetwork
  • 39. Southern SSAWG SNAP and the Farm Bill Alex Ashbrook D.C. Hunger Solutions, an initiative of the Food Research and Action Center January 25, 2013
  • 40. American households struggling to afford food “Have there been times in the last 12 months when you did not have enough money to buy food that you or your family needed?” (Gallup) Households answering yes in the 1st 6 months of 2012: 18.2% nationally Worst 10 states: MS, AL, DE, GA, NV, AR, OK, TN, WV, LA.
  • 41. Food hardship in virtually every Congressional district (2010-2011) • 48 Congressional districts >/= 25% • 162 Congressional districts >/= 20% • 323 Congressional districts >/= 15% Median Congressional district = 18.2% Median House Agriculture Committee member district = 18.3%
  • 42. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)(“food stamps”) Number of beneficiaries each month: • 1996 – 25.5 million • 2000 - 17.2 million • 2007 – 26.5 million • 2009 – 33.5 million • October 2013 – 47.5 million
  • 43. Benefit allotments and redemptions • Maximum $668/month, family of four (Thrifty Food Plan) (Low cost food plan = $822/month) • Average SNAP benefit: $4.50/day/person • EBT Cards • 93% of benefits redeemed at supermarkets, superstores, grocery stores, specialty food stores
  • 44. Strengths of SNAP - General • Reduces hunger/food insecurity • Structural – responsive to economic need • Targeted: – 93% of benefits  households below poverty line – 85% of benefits  households with seniors, people with disabilities, or children – 47% of recipients are children • Helps working families as well as unemployed – 41% of participants are in households with earnings
  • 45. Strengths of SNAP - Economic • Stimulates economy: each SNAP $1 produces $1.73 - $1.79 of economic activity • Counter-cyclical • Creates jobs: $1 billion SNAP  9,800 to 19,800 for FTEs plus PTs • Builds on mainstream commerce • Reduces poverty • Frees up family resources for other basic needs
  • 46. Strengths of SNAP - Nutrition Impacts • Raises food expenditures; improves nutrient availability • Improves child health • May reduce obesity • Across broad food categories, little difference between food choices/ expenditures of low-income and high- income families
  • 47. Farm Bill • President’s Budget (FY 2013): - restores Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act benefits allotment cut - eases access for unemployed workers • Senate Bill: - cuts $4.5 billion (eliminates coordination of SNAP and LIHEAP) • House Bill: - Cuts $16 billion o Senate LIHEAP provision o reduces allowable assets o reduces allowable income
  • 48. Learn More… Follow developments on FRAC website – http://frac.org Sign up for FRAC alerts – http://bit.ly/9FzB66 Follow us on Facebook – facebook.com/foodresearchandactioncenter Follow us on Twitter – twitter.com/#!/fractweets
  • 49. Healthy Food Financing Initiative Increasing Food Access Improving Health Outcomes Creating Economic Opportunity Judith Bell, President PolicyLink
  • 50. A Successful Model: PA Fresh Food Financing Initiative • 88 new or expanded healthy food retail projects • $73.2 million in loans and $12.1 million in grants to healthy food retailers • $190 million in total project costs resulting from $30 million in state seed money • 400,000 residents with increased access to healthy food • 5,000 jobs created or retained
  • 51. State & Local Initiatives • NJ Food Access Initiative • CA FreshWorks Fund • IL Fresh Food Fund • New Orleans Fresh Food Retail Incentive Fund • NY Healthy Foods, Healthy Communities Fund
  • 52. Healthy Food Financing Initiative A National Campaign • Improve access to healthy food in low- income, underserved, rural, s uburban, & urban communities • Support small business development, job creation • Contribute to sustainable food system development • Incent public-private partnerships • $477 million in grants and tax credits already distributed
  • 53. HFFI Federal Actions A coordinated effort to increase access to healthy foods in underserved urban & rural communities Interagency group established in 2010 to guide implementation Fiscal year 2013 budget request:  Total of $285 million through: • Treasury: $25 million • HHS: $10 million • NMTC Program: potential for $250 million (or more) available
  • 54. HFFI Impact • $ 77 million awarded to 47 CDCs & CDFIs from across the country awarded HFFI Funds • More than $400 million in New Market Tax Credits allocated to CDEs to support a diversity of food access projects Diversity of projects funded: • Supermarkets, grocery stores, food hubs, farmers markets, CSAs, corner stores, food processors, distribution centers • For-profit businesses, cooperatives, non-profit organizations
  • 55. A Sampling of HFFI Projects Food and Agro Processing Center Brightwood Development Corporation Porta del Sol region , PR Northside Community Food Hub Butterfly Foundation Spartanburg, SC Agriculture Enterprise Initiative Coastal Enterprises Portland ME Healthy Foods Cooperative Communities Cooperative Fund of New England Amherst, MA
  • 56. HFFI & the Farm Bill • Enhance USDA’s ability to improve access and demand for healthy foods by providing one- stop financing for healthy food retailers. • Support a range of locally-determined strategies designed to strengthen regional and local food systems
  • 57. HFFI Farm Bill Proposal • Selects a CDFI using a competitive process to manage a National Fund • Oversees & monitors program implementation USDA • Raises private capital nationally • Funds local partnership using a competitive process A CDFI • Provides TA to local public/private partnerships • Develops investment strategy & raises local funding Local • Evaluates and finances local projects and provides TA Partners
  • 58. HFFI Benefits • Market opportunities for local farmers • Jobs & small business development • Revitalized neighborhoods • Better health outcomes
  • 59. For more HFFI information and updates: www.policylink.org/KeepMeInformed/HFFI • PolicyLink is a national research and action institute advancing economic and social equity by Lifting Up What Works ®. www.policylink.org • Contact: judith@policylink.org • The Food Trust, founded in 1992, is a nonprofit organization working to ensure that everyone has access to affordable, nutritious food. www.thefoodtrust.org • Contact: jweidman@thefoodtrust.org • The Reinvestment Fund, a community development financial institution, invests in distressed markets and conducts research on policy issues that influence neighborhood revitalization & economic growth. www.trfund.com • Contact: patricia.smith@trfund.com
  • 60. For more information: Judith Bell, President PolicyLink jbell@policylink.org Helen Dombalis National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition hdombalis@sustainableagriculture.net Kathleen Fitzgerald Fair Food Network kathleenfitzgerald08@gmail.com Alexandra Ashbrook DC Hunger Solutions aashbrook@dchunger.org Patricia L. Smith, Senior Policy Advisor The Reinvestment Fund Patricia.Smith@trfund.com

Hinweis der Redaktion

  1. Patricia L. Smith is a Senior Policy Advisor at The Reinvestment Fund. She is responsible for directing TRF’s public policy initiatives, including several collaborative efforts to improve access to healthier foods in low-income urban neighborhoods and rural communities.    During her career, Ms. Smith has held senior management positions in philanthropy and the public and nonprofit sectors.Alexandra Ashbrook- Alex serves as the director of D.C. Hunger Solutions, an anti-hunger, anti-poverty nonprofit in the District and an initiative of FRAC. She works to end hunger and improve the nutrition, health, economic security, and well-being of low-income families in the nation’s capital. She leads and participates in many city-wide coalitions and most recently, was appointed as chair of the D.C.’s Mayor’s Commission on Food and Nutrition in September 2009.Alex, who joined FRAC in January 2007 as the director of D.C. Hunger Solutions, brings extensive advocacy experience to her role, much of which has focused on the needs of vulnerable youth. While at Georgetown Law School’s D.C. Street Law Project, Alex supervised law students teaching at D.C. public high schools. She spent the last ten years working at Street Law, the national nonprofit dedicated to transforming democratic ideals into citizen action. Alex received her JD and LLM from the Georgetown University Law Center.Kathleen Fitzgerald- Kate Fitzgerald’s work focuses on promoting national policy that connects family farmers with low-income consumers to create food systems that build real community wealth. She began work at the Texas Department of Agriculture after the farm crisis of the 1980s, helping establish farmers markets that allowed farmers to earn more for their products and were certified to accept food stamps and WIC coupons so that all customers could shop there. Since then she has worked at the local, state and national level advocating for policies that will build a more just food system in the US. Helen Dombalisis a Policy Associate at the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. She has researched the role of local and regional food systems in community economic development and advocated at the grassroots and federal levels. 
  2. Title IV – Nutrition Programs, 67% ($188.9 billion)
  3. Graphic was created by Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. Article and graphic can be found here: http://www.pcrm.org/good-medicine/2007/autumn/health-vs-pork-congress-debates-the-farm-bill
  4. Graphic- Whatcom County agricultural workers found CoopertivaJacal: A Cooperative Organic Farm
  5. Other Key Players for Congressional Action are:Senator Reid and Speaker of the House Boehner will be key for securing time on the floor to take up the Farm BillHouse Budget Committee
  6. There are many competing interests in a Farm Bill debate/reauthorization.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxThe latest on the Farm Bill -it is looking very unlikely that the bill will go to the full floor of the House anytime soon.  Rather, it seems that an unofficial conference (a gathering of Members of Congress to compare Senate and House bills) might be the next step.  I say it could be "unofficial" because it seems that rather than appointing Senators and Representatives to serve as official conferees, the four leaders (Stabenow and Roberts in the Senate and Lucas and Peterson in the House) will do as they did back in the fall during the Super Committee and work amongst themselves internally.Also, since the current bill is set to expire September 30, we expect an extension bill also to be written in case they cannot get a final bill done before then.
  7. Healthy food financing: resources to support an array of approaches to eliminate food deserts and improve access to healthy food : grocery stores, farmers markets, corner store conversions, etcSNAP: provides resources for decreasing purchasing foodHealthy Food Incentives (including at farmers markets): vouchers to expand SNAP resources for purchasing fresh fruits and vegetablesRegional food infrastructure development: different approaches to improve the food system, including support for sustainable agriculture
  8. NSAC’s vision of agriculture is one where a safe, nutritious, ample, and affordable food supply is produced by a legion of family farmers who make a decent living pursuing their trade, while protecting the environment, and contributing to the strength and stability of their communities.MFSRD includes local/regional food, child nutrition, farm to school, and then food system infrastructure
  9. Southern SAWG functions as a regional entity, working with and through hundreds of associated organizations across 13 southern states. By building partnerships, sharing information and conducting analysis, Southern SAWG transforms isolated ideas and innovations into practical tools and approaches for widespread use.
  10. When we describe our work, we think of the three legs of the sustainability stool – environment, economics, and equity, or people, planet, and profit. We work to ensure farmers grow and raise food that sustains our natural resources, fosters vibrant communities, and ensure their own well-being as the producers of our food.
  11. -Improvemarketing outlets by creating a level playing field for electronic benefit transfer Among vendors- Improve the ability of schools to procure local foods and fresh produce in lieu of participation in traditional commodity programs- Improve the ability of Rural Development programs that fund infrastructure and development to fund local and regional food systems
  12. Small-scale entrepreneurship is the one economic development strategy that consistently works in rural communities. Rural development programs targeted at small business development contribute to job creation in rural areas. Providing training and technical assistance to the next generation of farmers can help buck the aging farmer trend and ensure future food security
  13. BFRDP-- First authorized in the 2002 Farm Bill but never received funding during the annual appropriations process2008 Farm Bill: authorized a total of $75 million in mandatory funding ($18 million for FY2009 and $19 million in FY2010-2012) and $30 million in discretionary funding annuallyThe 2012 Senate bill adds a funding priority for veterans2501-provides grants to Land Grant Institutions (1862, 1890, or 1994), Native American Tribal Governments and organizations, Latino-Serving Institutions, State Controlled Institutions of Higher Education, and community-based organizations and non-profits that work with minority and socially disadvantaged farmers.
  14. The work that I have described on behalf of NSAC and Southern SAWG is part of our larger agriculture and food system. By increasing demand for fresh, local products, and by facilitating market opportunities, not only do low-income Americans benefit, but so too do our nation’s farmers. Together, we envision a healthy, food-secure population supporting a vibrant and economically sustainable food system.
  15. how the system works in the market, how the program started, etc.
  16. Citation: DUFB 2012 Evaluation Report
  17. Note: This percentage is down from 2011 at the same time that the % of farmers who say they are selling more f&v is up from 80% and those making more money is up from 75% in 2011. Farmers are successfully responding to the new market.
  18.  
  19. This is the final page, and is designed to reiterate the theme of the presentation and leave the audience with a clear view of the way SNAP incentives connect the linked challenges of farm revenue and access to healthy food.And improving healthy food access for low-income families.
  20. A campaign for a national healthy food financing initiative was launched in 2009 by:PolicyLink (a national research and action group lifting up best practices), The Food Trust (which promotes the need for access to healthy foods) andThe Reinvestment Fund (a community development financial institution)
  21. In 2004, the Commonwealth of PA, in partnership with TRF and The Food TrustLaunched the PA Fresh Food Financing Initiative in response to the state’s growing rates of obesity and food insecurity. The PA program was designed to address the unique start‐up costs and other market barriers that deter opening and operating grocery businesses in low-income communities.The initiative also demonstrated that a well-targeted financing program can create and expand markets for small businesses and local farmers. TRF gathered information through store owner interviews on how FFFI financing had affected their ability to access credit, stay in business, carry new lines of products (including fresh foods and produce) and stimulate economic activity in their communities.
  22. Brightwood Development Corp. has established a food and agricultural products processing and distribution facility in western Puerto Rico in the Porta del Sol region with support from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Food and Agro-Processing Center supports local producers of healthy and organic vegetable products for distribution in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Hispanic market. Northside Community Food Hub slated to open in April 2013 is a hybrid business that combines elements of a grocery store, farmers’ market, restaurant, community garden and learning lab. The Food Hub is poised to create 23 new jobs in the community, renew and grow vital community connections and provide access to nutritious prepared foods, groceries and produce in a community that is severely lacking healthy food options. CEI’s HFFI financing takes several forms: flexible debt, guarantees, and equity or equity-like financing (typically subordinated debt). Financing can be used for capital expenses such as buildings, retail space, and storage space; equipment such as freezers, coolers, generators, shelving, and lighting; expansion costs; refresh costs; succession planning; working capital.HFFI is one piece of a broader effort designed to support the growth and expansion of rural food economies in Maine helping CEI to finance along the entire value chain from farm production to food retail; Cooperative Fund of New England was founded in 1975 to meet a market need for food co‐op financing,CFNE’s mission is to advance community‐based, cooperative and democratically owned or managed enterpriseswith preference to those that serve low income communities. CFNE’s food sector portfolio includes retailoutlets, producer co‐ops, produce transporters and incubator kitchens for start‐up food processors and caterersthroughout New England.
  23. As you can see from this Chart, USDA through a national fund manager will fund local partnerships organized to improve access to healthy foods at the state, regional or local level.Local partnerships will be charged with:identifying communities needs,setting priorities,raising local funds to match the federal investment, and of course funding healthy food retail projects. In addition, the National Fund Manager will also assist with raising matching funds to leverage the federal grant funds and partnering with food access organization to provide TA.Finally, the USDA will be responsible for holding the national fund manager accountable by periodic auditing and performance assessments.
  24. To recap, a healthy food financing initiative should be a part of our nation’s food & agriculture policy. Developing quality healthy food retailers:provides market opportunities for local farmers,creates and preserve much need jobs, stimulates small business development, andcontributes to better health outcomes.
  25. Not sure if it’s appropriate for you to give this out, but if so…..For more information about HFFI: www.policylink.org/KeepMeInformed/HFFI.Next speaker is Patricia Smith, TRF