Western Adaptation Alliance Regional Leadership Academy Enhancing the Resilience of Sustainable Food Systems through Adaptive Water Management in the American West May 5-7, 2014

Understanding Your Food System: Best Practices in Data and Assessment Session Leaders: Cynthia Pansing, Changing Tastes Bridget Stuchly, City of Salt Lake City

Session Format Introductions Starting questions The City of Salt Lake example (Bridget) National overview of best practices: what the Roadmap reveals (Cynthia) Group discussion/wrap-up

Introductions and Starting Questions Name, title, organizational affiliation What is your one key question about best practices in data and assessment?*

Session Wrap Up: Where We Go from Here What best practices guide your work?* How might our discussion in this session assist your future work?* Are there some clear next steps that emerge in your individual work and that of WAA?* What tools and resources would be beneficial?*

How Innovation and Investment Benefit Cities and the Food System Strengthening the food system Strengthening metropolitan areas and enhancing resilience Investment in food system innovations in metropolitan areas Enhancing economic development Economic benefits Social benefits 6

Project Approach Literature Review and Team Input Asset Inventory/ Gap Analysis Tools and Strategies Impact and Screening Metrics Action Plan Framework Roadmap for Food System Innovation and Investment

Sources 8 Over 200 articles, reports, data sets, interviews and websites Input from five cities of Minneapolis, Portland, San Francisco (also County), Seattle and Vancouver Experience and created knowledge capital of all partners: Changing Tastes, Wallace Center, five cities/county and the Urban Sustainability Directors Network

Innovation Categories

Key Report Findings Increased and sustained demand for local food Shifts in local/sustainable food business ownership Uneven quality in wages for new food sector jobs Production and processing yield highest local multiplier effects with highest wages Investment risk is comparable to other sectors Continued research needed to gauge success of recent innovations and business models 10

Local Government Roles in Local Foods Planning and Investment Now and in the future local governments will: –Play increasingly important role in strengthening food sector –Help maximize economic potential –Help ensure access to fresh, healthy foods –Help ensure efficient markets for public good - improve local economies, prevent market failures (e.g., pollution)  However, information for decision-making about local food economic benefits currently of uneven quality  No current analytic framework or tool that adequately takes into account value of important city assets  Make development decisions predictable, fair, and cost effective (See Roadmap as one guide) 11

5 Steps to Food Sector Innovation Planning and Evaluation

Asset Mapping and Assessment Business Training Food Start Up Incubators Food Sector Innovation Clusters Community Prep Kitchens Direct investment Tax incentives Connecting Angel Investors to Entrepreneurs Bank and loan officer education Food Hubs Infrastructure Food Policy Councils Procurement Policies Streamlined Permitting Urban Land Assembly Ag Land preservation Water 13

Investment Evaluation Financial Return: What is the return on Public Investment? Financial Return: What is the return on Public Investment? Jobs: How many, how good and at what cost? Jobs: How many, how good and at what cost? Local Food System: Does the venture play a key role? Local Food System: Does the venture play a key role? Acceptable Risk? What are the odds this will go as planned? Acceptable Risk? What are the odds this will go as planned? Worthwhile? On balance, does this make sense for our city? Worthwhile? On balance, does this make sense for our city? Food Access: Will this increase access to healthy & sustainable food? Food Access: Will this increase access to healthy & sustainable food?

Evaluation Clarify and prioritize what is important to city and why Balance what is needed for decisionmaking, monitoring and evaluating outcomes Select manageable number of indicators (<10) that align city’s vision, goals and desired outcomes Address social, economic and environmental sustainability  Examples: % of residents who are food secure, acres of city land used for food production, number of sustainable small businesses/jobs created, amount of energy or water conserved, etc.

Conclusion: Lessons Learned Local governments/cities – important role in planning and innovation Asset-based assessment/systems approach essential More analytic tools - predictable, fair, cost effective, sustainable decision-making  More information needed on local governments’ applications of tools and outcomes 16

Introductions and Starting Questions Name, title, organizational affiliation What is your one key question about best practices in data and assessment?*

Session Wrap Up: Where We Go from Here What best practices guide your work?* How might our discussion in this session assist your future work?* Are there some clear next steps that emerge in your individual work and that of WAA?* What tools and resources would be beneficial?*