HEALTHY FOOD & COMMUNITIES INITIATIVE

HEALTHY FOOD &
COMMUNITIES INITIATIVE
Community Food Security Coalition and Partners ? March 2007

---

HEALTHY FOOD &
regionally-grown food by institutions. The total request for
Sections A and B combined is $110.5 million. Section C
COMMUNITIES INITIATIVE makes no funding request, but expresses the support of
CFSC's partners' initiatives to promote greater access to
and consumption of healthier food by low-income people.
INTRODUCTION
The Community Food Security Coalition's Healthy Food
It should be further noted that all of the goals put forward
& Communities Initiative (Initiative) presents specific pol-
by the Initiative have been incorporated into the Farm and
icy proposals for the 2007 Farm Bill that lay out the follow-
Food Policy Project's declaration, Seeking Balance in US
ing four broad policy goals to increase access to healthy
Farm and Food Policy. This document was endorsed sepa-
foods and to strengthen local food systems:
rately by over 350 national and local organizations.
•
Encourage greater consumption of fruits and vegeta-
THE NEED FOR A NEW DIRECTION IN U.S.
bles by enabling federal nutrition program beneficiar-
FOOD AND FARM POLICY
ies to purchase food at local farmers' markets and other
retail food outlets that can supply fresh, local produce;
All people want what's best for their children and for future
•
Expand innovative, community-based food programs generations. All community members, whether they are
to increase the scale and scope of institutional and rural, suburban, and urban, want strong local economies
emergency food purchasing programs, including and the ability to buy healthy and affordable food. All peo-
through changes in procurement policy and support ple in the United States, whether farmers or not, benefit
for infrastructure development;
when agriculture is productive, profitable, and environ-
•
Create new and expanded local food system programs mentally sustainable.
to help communities develop retail food markets,
urban agriculture projects, and marketing networks But what we want from our food system and what our
that address the needs of under served neighborhoods;
national food and farm policies deliver are increasingly out
•
Provide funding to child nutrition programs to provide of balance. This is especially true for the Farm Bill-sched-
fruits and vegetables in schools, implement wellness uled to be renewed by Congress in 2007-that addresses
policies, and expand nutrition education.
such critical issues as agricultural production, food and
nutrition assistance, rural development, renewable energy,
The Initiative is the product of extended discussion and
and conservation policies. These public policies need to
research by more than 100 individuals and organizations
result in better management of the farm and food system
comprising the Healthy Food & Communities Work
that serves us all.
Group. The Community Food Security Coalition (CFSC)
provided staffing and leadership to this Work Group whose
The twin phenomena of hunger and obesity are ample
participants included representatives from public health,
proof of how the nation's farm and nutrition policies are
ending hunger, sustainable agriculture, nutrition, urban
out of balance. The obesity epidemic is so severe that the
and regional planning, environmental quality, youth devel-
U.S. Surgeon General predicts that this generation of chil-
opment, agricultural marketing, urban agriculture, and
dren may be the first to be less healthy and have shorter
community development. The ideas presented here
lives than their parents' generation. Similarly, obesity
embody perspectives drawn from faith-based, community-
among adults has risen significantly in the United States.
based, academic, Cooperative Extension, governmental,
The latest data from the National Center for Health
and farmer sectors.
Statistics show that 30% of US adults who are 20 years of
age and older-over 60 million people-are obese. The per-
The Initiative is divided into three sections. Section A
centage of young people who are overweight has more than
requests $60.5 million to substantially increase funding for
tripled since 1980.i Being overweight or obese increases the
the Community Food Projects Competitive Grants
risk of many diseases and health conditions, including high
Program and supporting activities. Section B requests $50
blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease,
million to improve marketing and distribution infrastruc-
stroke, sleep apnea and respiratory problems, and some
ture for under served communities and further requests the
cancers. Various non-white racial and ethnic populations
elimination of restrictions on the purchase of locally- and
are often at higher risk for certain diet-related diseases than
1

---

the white population.ii The Institute of Medicine estimates
innovation, new marketing channels are opening up that
that national health care expenditures related to obesity are
benefit farmers, consumers, and communities. As more
estimated at between $98 and $117 billion annually, with
people express concern about where and how their food is
the U.S. taxpayer footing an increasingly large share of
grown, the demand for organic, sustainable, and locally
these costs through Medicare and Medicaid.iii
produced food expands. Evidence for this growth can be
seen in the over 4,000 farmers' markets -- 1,250 of which
While obesity has reached epidemic proportions through-
have opened since the 2002 Farm Bill -- that are spread
out America, over 35 million people (including 12.4 mil-
across the American continent.xi As many as 1,000 public
lion children) lived in food-insecure households in 2005.iv
schools in 32 states are now buying products from local
These are households who are uncertain of having, or
producers for their school meals programs, up from a hand-
unable to acquire enough food to meet the needs of all their
ful in 1998. And over 1200 community supported agricul-
members. Ironically, hunger and obesity may exist side-by-
ture (CSA) farms and thousands of community gardens and
side, because households that cannot afford, or do not have
urban farms have blossomed in the past decade.xii
access to healthy food often resort to cheap, high-calorie
foods that are low in nutrients to reduce sensations of
These consumer-driven trends have existed at the margins
hunger.v
of federal policy, which has only provided minimal support
for these important new directions in food and farming.
The lack of full-service grocery stores in many lower
While the Farmers' Market Nutrition Program, for
income urban and rural areas, especially those with large
instance, has enabled the expansion of farmers' markets in
numbers of people of color, also exacerbates these prob-
low-income areas, a significant infusion of public resources
lems.vi Corner stores or bodegas, convenience stores, and
would have a dramatic impact on farmers' markets' ability
inner-city grocery stores often charge substantially higher
to promote healthy eating and economic development
prices than supermarkets in middle class neighborhoods,
among under served populations and communities.
leading to decreased purchasing power for socially disad-
vantaged residents.vii Limited access to supermarkets also
CFSC's Healthy Food & Communities Initiative is a new
reduces the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables.viii
direction that makes a modest investment in the self-
Without access to affordable and nutritious foods, individ-
reliance of our nation's communities. It will give them the
uals in these under served communities have fewer chances
tools they need to develop their own solutions while
of making positive changes to their diets.
employing their native skills and resources. Community-
based solutions like these bridge class, racial, ethnic and
Like consumers, the American farmer is also challenged at
geographic divides by focusing on the shared interest in
many levels by unbalanced food and farm policies. With
healthy and affordable food.
increasing concentration of many food and farm sectors in
the control of a few large companies, family farmers have
POLICY PROPOSALS
fewer options for marketing, processing, and adding value
SECTION A: Expand the Community Food
to their products. As the cost of land, water, labor and ener-
gy rise, and the prices received for most crops remain stag-
Projects (CFP) Competitive Grants Program.
nant, family farmers increasingly find themselves selling the
farm and leaving agriculture altogether. These conditions
Since it was first authorized in the 1996 Farm Bill, the
adversely affect the health and security of our food system,
Community Food Project Competitive Grants Program
which depends on a stable base of farmland and new gen-
(CFP) has earned a reputation as a dynamic and adaptable
erations of farmers. Currently, 1.2 million acres of farmland
force within the changing circumstances of community
are lost to development and erosion every year. Developed
food needs. Re-authorized in the 2002 Farm Bill at $5 mil-
land increased by 19% between 1982 and 1992, and by
lion per year of mandatory funding, CFP has made grants
24% between 1992 and 2002,ix and farmers over 65 cur-
to over 240 innovative community food projects in 45
rently outnumber those who are under 35 by more than
states, the District of Columbia, and 1 US territory. These
four to one.x
funds have promoted a wide variety of community-based
solutions to local food system and food security problems.
OPPORTUNITIES
Due in large measure to consumer demand and farmer
CFP's purposes were clearly expressed by Congress, which
2

---

established the program to assist non-profit, community-
Program should be re-authorized at $60.5 million annually
based organizations with the development of projects that
in mandatory spending, making funding permanent and
would require a one-time infusion of federal assistance to
keeping pace with inflation. CFP should expand in scope
become self-sustaining and were designed to:
and size, adding specific uses of funds to meet the urgent
need to supply healthy local foods to under served markets
•
Meet the food needs of low-income people;
in the following ways:
•
Increase the self-reliance of communities in providing
for their own food needs, and;
P Allocate $15 million annually for Community
•
Promote comprehensive responses to food, farm, and Food Project Competitive Grants as currently
nutrition issues by combining the resources of multi-
structured.
ple sectors of the food system.
Rationale: Expanding CFP will accelerate the growth in com-
munity-based solutions to community food problems, especial-
Over the past ten years, CFP has proven that modestly-
ly given the dollar-for-dollar match required of CFP grantees.
sized federal grants, when combined with local resources
Over the past four years, requests for CFP funds have averaged
and knowledge, can galvanize the hearts and minds of citi-
over $27 million per year, about six times available funds. The
zens and give struggling, food insecure communities new
staff of CFP report that there are a significant number of high-
hope. These grants have played a major role in forging a
ly qualified projects that do not get funded every year due to
national network of community food system practitioners
limited resources.
who are eager to learn from each other, know how to put
good ideas into action, and respect the need for evaluation
and research. At the local level, CFP has given a diverse
P Add $10 million annually within CFP for insti-
group of food system stakeholders the opportunity to devel-
tutional food service projects to invest in infra-
op and implement ideas, projects, and ultimately solutions
structure and planning in order to procure local
by using creative and dynamic problem solving skills. As a
food by school districts, municipal and state gov-
result of these linkages, local planners now work with food
ernments, and non-profit organizations.
program advocates, public health officials engage commu-
Rationale: Serving locally grown foods in schools and other
nity development groups, and farmers see their futures
institutions and introducing kids and adults alike to the foods
increasingly tied to local markets.
grown in their region has been shown to improve eating habits
while increasing local farmers' income. Seed funding is critical
Building on this success, CFSC's Healthy Food &
to cover many of the infrastructure costs associated with pur-
Communities Initiative proposes to expand the size and
chasing local food. A modest outlay of resources in this area can
scope of the Community Food Projects Competitive
substantially increase the number of children eating farm-fresh
Grants Program in the 2007 Farm Bill by including:
food at school while expanding market opportunities for local
and regional farmers.
•
Local food procurement by institutions such as
schools;
P Add $10 million to CFP to provide seed grants
•
Retail access in under served markets;
for pre-development and development efforts
•
Urban and metro-area food production;
designed to create new and/or expanded retail
•
Technical assistance for socially disadvantaged and lim-
food outlets in under served areas. Examples are
ited resource groups;
community-based retail development such as
•
Food policy council and food system network mobile markets, buyers' co-ops, independent
development;
grocery co-ops, revitalized public markets, and
•
Emergency food providers who purchase food from public-private partnerships with chain supermar-
local farm communities, and;
kets.
•
A national clearinghouse on community food security
innovations.
Rationale: Modest grants to capable community-based organi-
zations have been shown to help stimulate additional food
Specific provisions of this proposal are as follows:
retail outlets. Community ownership or participation in these
outlets can ensure that they remain responsive to the food needs
The USDA Community Food Project Competitive Grants
of community residents.
3

---

P Add $10 million annually within CFP to sup- but are often limited by lack of resources. New multi-sector
port metropolitan, urban and peri-urban food
entities with regional jurisdictions are needed to plan and
production and handling to provide stable sea-
coordinate on a region-by-region basis the complex production,
sonal access to healthy food for under served
distribution, processing and consumption sectors that are not
communities. Use of such funds should include
currently integrated.
physical improvements to existing and future
garden sites, such as fencing, water and irriga-
P Add $3 million annually within CFP for creat-
tion systems, importation of compost, and soil.
ing linkages between emergency food providers
Additionally, funds should be available for and other local food system sectors to integrate
planning and technical assistance to link metro-
the handling of emergency and non-emergency
politan-area production with food banks, retail
locally produced food for food banks, soup
outlets, and farmers' markets.
kitchens, and pantries.
Rationale: Community gardens and urban farming provide
Rationale: Food banks-like schools, colleges, and other institu-
numerous benefits to the individuals and communities they
tions-are becoming increasingly interested in providing healthy,
serve, including recreational and economic development
locally-grown food to their clients. While USDA provides com-
opportunities, beautification, increased safety, social capital,
modity foods and operating funds to food banks through the
and food security. Despite these multiple benefits, urban agri-
TEFAP program, additional resources to allow food banks to
culture often falls through the federal cracks because USDA
work directly with small-scale family farmers are urgently
programs are oriented toward rural areas, and urban-focused
needed.
economic development typically ignores agriculture. An alloca-
tion in this area can help urban communities more productive-
P Re-authorize funding in the amount of
ly utilize undeveloped land at their fringes and in their cores,
$500K annually for the Food Security Learning
while making their cities more sustainable.
Center.
P
Rationale: The Food Security Learning Center (FSLC) is a
Add $7 million within CFP for technical assis-
hub of information exchange for the food security movement.
tance and evaluation assistance to organizations
The FSLC provides the tools needed to put policy into practice,
applying for and receiving CFP grants.
offering blueprints and examples of models that work. Each
Rationale: One reason that CFP has been so successful and
topic of the FSLC provides introductory materials, policy ini-
unique is that it provides technical assistance to applicants and
tiatives, profiles of community food projects, links, readings,
grantees. This has allowed grantees that have never received
and more. First launched in 2002, the Food Security Learning
federal grants to develop successful proposals. In addition, this
Center is run by World Hunger Year, with collaboration from
assistance has helped build the capacity of grantees to conduct
the Community Food Security Coalition and support from the
program evaluation, which in turn helps project leaders and
CFP.
administrators to improve their project. As funding for CFP
expands, both in number of projects funded and topical areas,
SECTION B: Provide access to healthy, locally
additional technical assistance should be provided to bolster the
produced food in under served urban and
capacity of applicants and grantees and ensure that funds go to
rural markets, including institutions,
the communities that need them the most.
through new incentives and clarification of
USDA language.
P Add $5 million annually within CFP for food
policy councils and food system networks.
P Authorize $45 million in annual mandatory
Rationale: Coordinating the multiple private, public, and
funding for regional planning and technical
non-profit sector activities and policies in local and regional
assistance pilot projects targeting transportation
food systems is challenging and necessary because it can signif-
and processing infrastructure that will enable
icantly increase the efficient use of existing resources. Food pol-
local and regional limited resource and socially-
icy councils (public-private commissions linked to state or city
disadvantaged family farmers to aggregate and
governments) and other similar collaborations have taken up
distribute food supply for under served markets,
this challenge in an ever-increasing number of communities,
including local institutions.
4

---

Rationale: Farmers growing for local markets face significant
interpretation of the law. This no-cost provision will remove
barriers in getting products to market, including a lack of pro-
this policy barrier and allow the DoD to continue purchasing
cessing plants, warehouses, brokers, and affordable transporta-
food from local farmers.
tion options. Minority and low-income farmers are especially
challenged, given the barriers they often face in utilizing
SECTION C: Work with partners to expand
USDA services. This fund provides crucial government support
and improve existing programs to promote
for revitalization of local and regional food system infrastruc-
healthy food consumption among under
ture that the private sector has abandoned over the past decade. served low-income populations.
P Supply $5 million annually to support the use Federal nutrition assistance provides the means to reduce
of the EBT system at farmers' markets.
food insecurity, and offers education programs that pro-
Rationale: Farmers' markets can play an important role in
mote healthful eating. The Food Stamp Program, which
improving access to fruits and vegetables in low-income com-
has historically been used as a way to alleviate surplus of
munities. This potential, however, has been limited inadver-
farm commodities, has become one of the nation's pre-
tently by changes in the Food Stamp Program, which convert-
miere anti-poverty programs and a highly successful bul-
ed paper coupons to a debit card. Very few farmers' markets
wark against hunger. Yet with the obesity crisis and health
have the ability to process electronic transactions, but many
disparities among the poor, it is clear that the Food Stamp
markets across the country are experimenting with technologies
Program and other forms of nutrition assistance must be
to enable Food Stamp users to use their benefits at farmers'
used to combat malnutrition in all of its forms. The follow-
markets. These innovations are limited in scope and are often
ing provisions are supported by CFSC, but not included in
costly; dedicated resources to fix this problem are critical.
the total funding request of this Initiative, due to the fact
that its partner organizations are working directly on those
issues. For more information on the rationale behind these
P Pursue policy changes to allow for geograph- proposals, see the Food Research and Action Center
ic preferences and increased flexibility for school
(FRAC) at www.frac.org.
and institutional procurement of local and
regional foods.
Because farmers' market offer a low-cost way of increasing
Rationale: Conflicting interpretations of statutory and report
access to healthy and affordable food in under served com-
language in the 2002 Farm Bill have led to much confusion
munities, it is necessary to provide additional incentives to
with regards to the ability of school districts and states to pro-
both farmers' market organizations and low-income con-
vide preference for food grown in specific geographical areas
sumers to extend their benefits as widely as possible. To
(such as in-state only) for school meals. The current adminis-
those ends, federal funds should be used to further develop
tration has chosen to discourage schools and states from provid-
farmers' market while giving low-income, nutritionally vul-
ing geographic preference. In doing so, it has dissuaded many
nerable groups like WIC and elderly households the oppor-
school districts from implementing legally permissible contract-
tunities to fully utilize fresh, locally produced food.
ing processes that would facilitate farm-to-school food purchas-
ing. This no-cost provision will clarify the intent of Congress by
1) Expand farmers' markets and improve access to them
directing USDA to remove this policy barrier.
by low-income people:
a.
Increase annual funding for the Farmers' Market
P Restore flexibility and allow geographic pref-
Promotion Program.
erences in Department of Defense Fresh Program
b. Increase funding for the Farmers' Market
purchase of local products.
Nutrition Programs and authorize FMNP
Farmers' Markets to be certified for WIC fruit
Rationale: Through the Department of Defense (DoD) Fresh
and vegetable vendor status.
Program, school food services have been able to use their non-
2) Streamline the Food Stamp Program and increase
cash credits for government commodities to acquire local prod-
access to healthy foods for Food Stamp-eligible cus-
ucts from family farmers. Both school districts and farmers
tomers:
have benefited from the substantial procurement infrastructure
a.
Broaden and streamline eligibility for legal immi
that DoD offers, but the preference for local products within
grants to Food Stamp Program.
this program has been discontinued, in part because of USDA's
5

---

b. Increase food stamp benefit allotments to provide REFERENCES
increased potential to purchase healthy foods by i
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (2007)
Food Stamp Program recipients.
Overweight and Obesity. http://www.cdc.gov/nccd
c.
Provide clear support for community food securi-
php/dnpa/obesity/
ty applications of Food Stamp Nutrition ii
Ibid.
Education (FSNE) and EFNEP funds.
iii
Finkelstein, Eric A., Ian C. Fiebelkorn and Guijing
3) Increase the entitlement for TEFAP (The Emergency
Wang (2004) “State-level estimates of annual medical
Food Assistance Program) for food, storage, and distri-
expenditures attributable to obesity.” Obesity Research
bution.
12: 18-24.
iv
Nord, Mark, Margaret Andrews, and Steven Carlson
4) Expand the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Pilot Program to
(November 2006) Household Food Security in the
all 50 states.
United States, 2005. ERR 29. Economic Research
5) Expand research and technical assistance resources for
Service, US Department of Agriculture.
urban agriculture within existing programs or through v
Drewnowski, Adam and S.E. Specter (2004) “Poverty
the renewal of past urban USDA programs.
and obesity: The role of energy density and energy
6) Provide funds for consolidated national research of
costs.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 79(1):
challenges and solutions for healthy food access
6-16.
through retail markets in under served low-income vi
Shaffer, Amanda (2002) The Persistence of L.A.'s
areas.
Grocery Gap: The Need for a New Food Policy and
Approach to Market Development. The Center for
Food and Justice, Occidental College, Los Angeles;
Suzanne Speak and Stephen Graham (2000) “Service
not included. Marginalised neighbourhoods, private
service disinvestment, and compound social exclu-
sion.” Environment and Planning A:1985-2001; Zy
Weinberg (1995) No Place to Shop: The Lack of
Supermarkets in Low-Income Neighborhoods. Public
Voice for Food and Health Policy, Washington, DC.
vii
Chung, Chanjin and Samuel L. Myers, Jr. (1999) “Do
the poor pay more for food? An analysis of grocery
store availability and food price disparities.” The
Journal of Consumer Affairs 33(2).
viii
Karpyn, Allison and Francine Axler (nd) Food
Geography: How Food Access Affects Diet and
Health. The Food Trust and The Philadelphia Health
Management Corporation. http://www.thefoodtrust.o
rg/catalog/download.php?product_id=120;
Neil
Wrigley, Daniel Warm, Barrie Margetts and Amanda
Whelan (2002) “Assessing the impact of improved
retail access on diet in a 'food desert': A preliminary
report.” Urban Planning 19(11): 2061-2082.
ix
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and
Center for Survey Statistics and Methodology (2000).
Summary Report, 1997 National Resources Inventory.
US Department of Agriculture and Iowa State
University.
x
Hoppe, Robert A. and David E. Banker (May 2006)
Structure and Finances of U.S. Farms: 2005 Family
Farm Report. EIB-12, Economic Research Service, US
Department of Agriculture.
xi
http://www.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets/Farmers
MarketGrowth.htm
xii
http://www.wilson.edu/wilson/asp/content.asp?id
=804
6

---

The Community Food Security Coalition is dedicat-
ed to building strong, sustainable local and regional
food systems that ensure access to affordable, nutri-
tious, and culturally affordable food to all people at
all times. We seek to develop self-reliance among all
communities in obtaining their food and to create a
system of growing, manufacturing, processing,
distributing, and selling food that is regionally
based and grounded in the principles of justice,
democracy, and sustainability.
Community Food Security Coalition
PO Box 209
Venice CA 90294
310-822-5410
www.foodsecurity.org

---