Reframing Farm Policy

Re-framing Farm Policy : 

Re-framing Farm Policy RESEARCH and RECOMMENDATIONS

Defining the issue : 

Hunger Health risks Economic injustice Environmental damage Taxpayer subsidies Defining the issue

Obesity vs. Hunger ? : 

“You can get cheap food, but it’s not healthy food. So if you’re looking – you’ve got a dollar to spend – you can get the most calories for that dollar in the least healthy foods.” Obesity vs. Hunger ?

Hunger and Health : 

Hunger and Health

Waste, in a land of plenty : 

Waste, in a land of plenty

Keep Farmland : 

Productive and profitable Keep Farmland

The safety of our food : 

Disease prevention Food is not healthy, can be contaminated The safety of our food

“Organic” ??? : 

“Organic” ???

“Sustainable farming” ??? : 

“Sustainable farming” ???

Local farms, farmers market : 

Local farms, farmers market

The local economy : 

Community Safety Health Security The local economy

security : 

security National security/ local security Food safety/ personal security

Systems Thinking : 

Systems Thinking

Slide 15: 

“The Food System” Like the economy, but more personal

What do you bringto the table? : 

What do you bringto the table? As growers, providers, producers, distributors, and consumers we play a part in our region’s food system.

What do you bringto the table? : 

What do you bringto the table? Just as our tastes have changed over the years, the way we grow, harvest, process, package, deliver, and prepare the foods we eat has changed, too.

What do you bringto the table? : 

What do you bringto the table? The challenge is making sure that it all changes for the better. That’s where you come in.

Framing The Issue : 

Framing The Issue VALUES: Community/ Security Local Economy/ Health CONTEXT: The Food System ISSUE: Federal Subsidy

The Food Bill Farm Bill : 

The Food Bill Farm Bill

Naming the game : 

“The Food, Conservation and Energy Act” “the farm bill” “the package of Federal subsidies for agriculture” “the food and farm security bill” “legislation to fight hunger and maintain our farms”… Naming the game

Sharp edges: : 

Sharp edges: Farm Bill Priorities “natural resource conservation and incentives to farmers for providing environmental and climate change mitigation benefits” “farming opportunity, fair competition, widespread ownership of land, and support for small and mid-sized farms and beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers” “local and regional food system development, production, public health and long-term food security”

Slide 24: 

Federal subsidies and related policies must be used to increase the security of our food, of our food supply, of our farmlands, and of the resources farms depend on: soil and water.

Slide 25: 

reduce waste strengthen local economies support farmers create new opportunity in cities, towns and rural areas.

What do you bring to the table? : 

What do you bring to the table?

Slide 27: 

Michael Goldberg goldberg@actionmedia.org 612-805-4045