Food Policy and Livable Communities, Presentation 1

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Changing Our Lives for the Better

Food

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Food System: Life Fuel Delivery Mechanism

Components of human food systems today:

1. Environment: Sunlight, land/water, climate2. Farmers: growing/harvesting food3. Infrastructure: processing, distribution, storage, retail4. Preparation: place where food is made ready for

the fork

Food Systems

Human Food Systems

Agri-culture—different from ancestral hunters and gathers

Our food systems exist as they are because we created them

Vary historically according to cultures, societies, and environments

We decide to leave them as they are, remodel them, or destroy them and build something new

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The Illinois Local Food, Farms, and Jobs Council

The Illinois General Assembly created the Council byenacting the Illinois Food, Farms, and Jobs Act of 2009 :

The mandate given the Council by the General Assembly is:

“To facilitate the growth of an Illinois-based local farm and food product economy that revitalizes rural and urban communities, promotes healthy eating with access to fresh foods, creates jobs, ensures a readily available supply of safe food in an emergency event, and supports economic growth through making local farm or food products available to all Illinois citizens.”

PA 96-579 Section 15

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The Council resulted from:

1. Non-confrontational promotion of local food

2. Relationships among diverse people and communities

3. Relationships among elected officials and public servants

4. Creating inclusive collaborating teams

The Illinois Local, Food, Farms, and Jobs Council

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Council Composition

The Council is a public/private partnership comprised of 35 slotted Directors appointed by the Governor:

29 non-government Directors (farmers, infrastructure entrepreneurs, NGO’s, organizations, U of I Extension, local and municipal leaders

Six government Directors: Lt. Governor’s Rural Affairs Council Director, and representatives from the Illinois Departments of Agriculture, Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Public Health, Human Services: Bureau of Family Nutrition (SNAP programs), and the Illinois Office of Security and Emergency Preparedness

THE ILLINOIS LOCAL FOOD, FARMS, AND JOBS COUNCIL

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1. Serve as a forum for discussing food issues

2. Foster coordination between local communities and sectors in the food system

3. Build local farm and food networks

4. Support and implement programs and services that address local needs

5. Evaluate and influence policy

The Council is a Facilitator:

The Illinois Local Food, Farms, and Jobs Council

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THE ILLINOIS LOCAL FOOD, FARMS, AND JOBS COUNCIL

Council Work

Local Food is:

1.Economic Development

2.Job Creation

3.Rural/Urban Revitalization

4.Public Health

5.Emergency Preparedness/Homeland Security

Council General Assembly Goals

PA96-579  1.facilitate institutional buying of local foods

– 20% of institutional purchased food be local by 2020– 10% state run cafeteria food be local by 2020

lsupport and develop local food entrepreneurslbuild local farm and food infrastructurelimplement farmer/resident training in food productionlfacilitate inter-agency coordination to build a local farm and food economyleliminate legal barriers hampering local production, processing, and marketing of local farm and food products (IDOA, IDPH, Attorney General’s Office, Council, other stakeholders)lmake public lands available for local food productionlcollect data, measure, analyze, report, and set goalslcreate an Illinois local farm and food label and certification program (IDOA, Council)lcreate a local farm and food public awareness campaignlIssue an annual progress Report to the Illinois General Assembly

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The Illinois Local, Food, Farms, and Jobs Council

Task Force Report Workforce Goals

● Train 5,000 farmers,

● Train 12,500 farm laborers

● Train 2,500 infrastructure entrepreneurs

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The Illinois Local and Organic Food and Farm Task Force

Iowa State University Study

In May 2010, Iowa State University released: “Selected Measures of the Economic Values of Increased Fruit and Vegetable Production and Consumption in the Upper Midwest” -- one of the first major studies of the economic potential of increased fruit and vegetable production in the upper Midwest. The six states studied were Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Conclusion:The State of Illinois could gain more than 5400 jobs and over $988 million in retail

sales through increased production and marketing of 28 types of fruits and vegetables for local consumption270,025 cropland acres would be needed to produce the partial-year demands of 28 fresh fruits and vegetables in the six-state region. That is roughly equivalent to the average amount of cropland in one of Iowa’s 99 counties0.3% of the Illinois’ 23.7 million acres of cropland would be required if these crops were all grown on land now in agricultural production

For the complete study, go to:

http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/research/marketing_files/midwest.html

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A Snapshot of Illinois Today

• 12.8 million human eaters• 28 million of the world’s richest and most productive

farmland acres• A temperate climate able to produce every human food

that will grow outside tropical climates• Rich farming heritage• Season extension technology to produce table food

year around

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A Snapshot of the Illinois Food System Today

Imports 95% of what we eat Each food travels over 1500 miles average per item Harvested green for long distance transport (often inexpensive but

nutrient deficient) Leading contributor to obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular epidemic Renders us vulnerable to natural or humanly created emergency events Fossil fuel inefficient (increases our dependence on foreign oil) Exports jobs, businesses and entrepreneurial opportunities from the

Illinois economy

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My grandparent’s farm and garden plot provided fresh summer nutritionas well as a year-round supply of stored, canned, and/or frozen:

apples, asparagus, beets, blackberries, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, grapes, lettuce, muskmelon, peas, peppers, plums, potatoes, popcorn,

sweet corn, raspberries, rutabaga, spinach, squash, strawberries, string beans, peas, tomatoes, watermelon, pumpkins, and other foods

farm raised red and white meat, Walleye and Northerns from Minnesota

homemade butter, cheeses, and super-rich ice creams of any flavor

Midwestern soils will produce an abundance of what is planted upon them

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A Snapshot of Illinois’ Food Economy Today

Illinois consumers spend $48 billion annually for food Because we import our food, we export our food dollars Assuming an economic multiplier of only three, retaining 20

billion food dollars for in-state circulation would add another $60 billion annually for our farmers, families, entrepreneurs, businesses, local governments, and the State’s treasury

These dollars are now in Illinois, we simply need to utilize them more responsibly

Unmet consumer demand for fresh food

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A Snapshot of the Illinois Food System Today

Puts Low Grade Fuels into Human Tanks

• Digestive tracts are engines that power the human machine

• Facilitates obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and other food related health maladies

• Facilitates the need for Ritalyn and rope to restrain our children

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A Snapshot of the Illinois Food System Today

Creates Community Insecurity:

According to most assessments, 3-5 days supply of food exists on Illinois grocery, warehouse, and home shelves

A natural or humanly created emergency event that

disrupts high mileage food supply chains would compound chaos and human suffering

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Local Food is Production Agriculture

Local food and commodity agriculture are not competitors:

They produce different products sold to different markets

Local food can be produced on underutilized slivers of farmland

Local food is an emerging opportunity within production agriculture

Local Food is Rural Development

Local food provides opportunity for farm children to remain on the land growing high labor/high return products

Local food can be grown on underutilized slivers of farm fields and farmyards

Local food can be grown on vacant lots in decimated rural towns Season extension provides potential for year-round rural jobs and

income Local food producers can repopulate rural communities to un-board

churches, schools, and main street storefronts

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Urban Agriculture is Community Development

Food Deserts: vacant land and high unemployment Elderly expertise to mentor youth while growing food Near proximity to urban consumers desiring to purchase locally grown food

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The Federal Farm Bill

America’s farm and food system does not result from natural, inevitable, economic evolution

America’s farm and food system results from federal farm policy

The Farm Bill determines what is grown where and what most American’s eat

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What can you do?

Whatever you desire to do Vote with your dollar Talk to your neighbors and local businesses Visit with elected officials and public servants Begin or become engaged with local food

projects in your community Remember: Large projects are completed by a

series of small acts

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Why a National Leader?

Has been developing local food networks for decades First state to take the full bite legislatively Ranks third in the nation in farmers markets Knox County Food Development Council Bureau Valley farm to school project Myriad of diverse communities, organizations,

institutions, colleges, & governing entities uniting within collective agendas to promote and build local food networks

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Illinois is a Local Food Leader Nationally

PA 96-579 has been used as a model by a least 12 other states

American Farm Bureau Federation has called it “model legislation”

USDA says Illinois has “the formula for success”

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Contact Information

Website: www.foodfarmsjobs.org

HB3990 (PA096-0579)

Contact:Jim BraunIllinois Local Food, Farms, and Jobs [email protected]

THE ILLINOIS LOCAL FOOD, FARMS, AND JOBS COUNCIL

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THE ILLINOIS FOOD, FARMS, AND JOBS COUNCIL

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The Illinois Local Food, Farms, and Jobs Council