STRATEGIC POLICY ADVOCACY WORKSHOP APPALACHIAN DIABETES COALITIONS PRESENTED BY THE HARVARD FOOD LAW AND POLICY CLINIC JULY 9 TH, 2014 GRUNDY & MCMINN COUNTIES, TENNESSEE ALLI CONDRA, HFLPC SENIOR FELLOW AUSTIN BRYNIARSKI, HFLPC SUMMER INTERN KATE GIESSEL, HFLPC SUMMER INTERN

ROADMAP Morning  Policy Advocacy  Agriculture & Local Food Systems  Policy Advocacy Strategies for Enhancing Production  Policy Advocacy Strategies for Enhancing Consumption of Local Agricultural Products Lunch (12pm – 1pm) Afternoon  Developing a Strategic Policy Advocacy Action Plan  Choosing a Policy Goal  Identifying Possible Partners  Assigning Advocacy Strategies  Creating an Action Plan

WHAT IS POLICY? Policies govern our environment and behavior by outlining specific conduct, who should do it, how and when it should be done, and for what purpose.  Example: Food Policies are the set of laws and regulations that inform how, when and why food is produced, transported, distributed, and consumed, and by whom.

THREE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF POLICY The U.S. food system is governed by a combination of laws and regulations spanning various decision-makers Federal  Limited Authority  Example: The Farm Bill State  Broad Authority  Example: Marketing Initiatives for Local Agricultural Products Local  Authority Dependent upon the State  Example: Zoning Ordinances for Farmers Markets

POLICIES & PROGRAMS POLICIES  Are Farsighted in Scope  Provide Systemic Solutions  Have Long- lasting Impact  Have Staying Power PROGRAMS  Are More Short- sighted in Scope  Provide Temporary Relief  Have Variable Impacts  More Easily Dismantled

POLICY ADVOCACY: IDENTIFY, EDUCATE, ADVOCATE Identify…  Policies, Stakeholders, & Opportunities for Change Educate…  Coalition Members and Communities Advocate…  For the Adoption and Implementation of Policy Goals

2012 Ag Census at a Glance:  68,050 farms; average size is 160 acres  Number of farms is decreasing, size of farms is increasing  Average net cash income is $10,233  90% of Farmers are men; Less than 4% are non-white  Average age of KY Farmers is 59.2  About 4% of KY Farmers are under age 35 Agricultural Products:  Hay, Soybeans, Corn, and Cotton  Poultry and Eggs  Cattle and Calves  Only 1,284 (1.9%) of farms produce vegetables  Only 719 (1%) of farms have land in orchards LOCAL AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPE IN TENNESSEE

ENHANCING RURAL AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION Enhancing rural agricultural production encourages more consumption of locally grown, healthy foods. Policy Advocacy Options  Increase Funding  Increase the Availability of Training Programs  Improve & Increase the Use of Land- Linking Programs

ENHANCING RURAL AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION Increase Funding  Grants & Loans  Vermont Working Lands Enterprise Initiative  Wisconsin Grow Wisconsin Dairy Processor Grant Program  Tax Incentives  Nebraska Tax Credits for Young or Beginning Farmers  Woodbury County, Iowa Tax Rebates for Organic Farming Conversion

ENHANCING RURAL AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION Increase the Availability of Training Programs  The University of Kentucky MarketReady Training Program  Maryland Future Harvest Year-long Program  University of California Apprenticeship Program

ENHANCING RURAL AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION Improve & Increase the Use of Land-Linking Programs  National Center for Rural Affairs Land-Linking Service  Maryland FarmLink Online Property Exchange Listing  Connecticut Statute authorizing Department of Agriculture to establish a Database

ENHANCING CONSUMPTION OF LOCAL AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS Enhancing the consumption of locally grown, healthy foods bolsters rural agricultural production. Policy Advocacy Options  Increase Contract Purchasing  Improve Aggregation & Distribution  Increase Direct-to-Consumer Access

ENHANCING CONSUMPTION OF LOCAL AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS Increase Contract Purchasing  Institutions  Memphis, Tennessee Five Percent Discount to Local Business Purchases over $10,000  Washington Funding for Low-Income Schools to Purchase Local, Fresh Food; Piloted “Farmer to Food Bank”  Retailers  New York City Healthy Bodegas Initiative  Virginia Online Grocery Store Purchase Agreement

ENHANCING CONSUMPTION OF LOCAL AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS Improve Aggregation & Distribution  Food Hubs  Tracy City, South Carolina South Cumberland Food Hub  Dane County, Wisconsin Wisconsin Food Hub Cooperative  Food Processors  Washington Island Grown Farmers Cooperative Mobile Slaughtering Unit  New Mexico The Food Center and Commercial Kitchen

ENHANCING CONSUMPTION OF LOCAL AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS Increase Direct-to-Consumer Access  Farmers Markets  California Wireless EBT Devices  Oregon Farmers Market Advertising Campaign  Community Supported Agriculture (CSA )  College Grove, Tennessee Devlin Farms CSA Organic Produce  New York City Chelsea CSA Income-Based Payment Scale

DEVELOPING A STRATEGIC POLICY ADVOCACY ACTION PLAN Choosing A Policy Option  Policy Goals must be Attainable and Impactful Challenges and Successes  Challenges must be Anticipated; Success must be Defined Identifying Possible Partners  Partners must be Supportive and Influential Assigning Advocacy Strategies  Strategies must be Feasible and Impactful

ASSESSMENT SCHEMATIC: CHOOSING A POLICY OPTION HIGH IMPACT VERY ATTAINABLE LESS ATTAINABLE LOW IMPACT

DEVELOPING A STRATEGIC POLICY ADVOCACY ACTION PLAN: CHOOSING A POLICY OPTION Questions to Consider:  How attainable is the policy?  What sort of impact would this policy have?  How long will it take to achieve this policy change?

DEVELOPING A STRATEGIC POLICY ADVOCACY ACTION PLAN: CHALLENGES AND SUCCESSES Questions to Consider:  What Challenges do you anticipate?  What does Success look like?

ASSESSMENT SCHEMATIC: IDENTIFYING POSSIBLE PARTNERS HIGH SUPPORT VERY INFLUENTIAL LESS INFLUENTIAL LOW SUPPORT

DEVELOPING A STRATEGIC POLICY ADVOCACY ACTION PLAN: IDENTIFYING POSSIBLE PARTNERS Questions to Consider:  What support will this individual or group lend to the initiative?  What kind of influence does this individual or group have?  Does this individual or group have contacts on the Coalition, and is he or she easily accessible?  Whose guidance, help, or voice could the Coalition incorporate to best advocate for this policy change?  Who are some partners that could have a stake in this policy that are not so obvious?

ASSESSMENT SCHEMATIC: ASSIGNING ADVOCACY STRATEGIES HIGH IMPACT VERY FEASIBLE LESS FEASIBLE LOW IMPACT

DEVELOPING A STRATEGIC POLICY ADVOCACY ACTION PLAN: ASSIGNING ADVOCACY STRATEGIES Questions to Consider:  What kind of impact would the strategy have?  With what ease can the strategy be completed?  How much time would it take to implement the strategy?  What partners could be involved in executing the strategy?  Which Coalition member will carry out the strategy?

FINAL THOUGHTS OR QUESTIONS?