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SPILT MILK: AN INTERSECTORAL PARTNERSHIP THAT FAILED TO ADVANCE MILK SECURITY FOR LOW-INCOME LONE MOTHERS IN NS

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DR. LYNN MCINTYRE, UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY, DR. THERESA GLANVILLE, MOUNT SAINT VINCENT UNIVERSITY, AND ANDREA HILCHIE-PYE

Thanks to the Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation, and the participants

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THE STUDY

Exploring Milky Ways was a study that investigated the impact of, and barriers to, stabilizing monthly milk intake among low-income lone mothers and their children in Nova Scotia.

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ONE QUOTE SUMMARIZES IT ALL….

“ Milk is, in our house… it is a necessity but it’s also a luxury.”

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ADDRESSING MILK INSECURITYLack of access to adequate, affordable milk through acceptable means

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KEY POLICY GOAL

Realize public health nutrition gains for low-income families by increasing their access to fluid milk in the context of Canada’s milk marketing system.

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PRINCIPLES WE IDENTIFIED

MothersDon’t take money off chequeDon’t stigmatize Milk Industry Promote consumptionDon’t displace consumption of full price milk with cheaper milk 7

STAKEHOLDERS PRE-WORK

Extensive stakeholder briefings on our findings to explore the appropriate policy options.

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INTERSECTORAL POLICY DIALOGUE: PURPOSE

Clarification and full discussion of policy options

Identification of prioritiesAction plans Partners for future work

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ATTENDEES

NS Depts of Agriculture, Health Promotion & Protection, Community Services; Regional Public Health Services; School Board; PHAC; NSHRF; dairy sector incl Dairy Farmers of Canada, Dairy Farmers of Nova Scotia, two major dairies, major grocery distributor council; NGOs incl Osteoporosis Canada and Feed Nova Scotia; family resource centre reps; mothers; academics 10

OVER QUOTA PROGRAM

Over quota milk program –partnership with milk producers/others

Families targeted for additional milk at lower cost; program to increase fluid milk consumption,

not displace

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PREFERRED IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY

Nova Scotia Milk Card Electronic swipe card to record milk purchases that could be used at any grocery/retail outlet

Volumes tracked: lower priced milk after regular volume purchased 12

POLICY DIALOGUE FOLLOW-UP

Agreement on feasibility studyTeleconference for terms of

reference, new members, sub-groups, workplan.

Advancing Canadian Agriculture and Agri-Food Program as funding source

Conflict: low-priced vs over quota milk; match funding for ACAAF demonstration

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DAIRY SECTOR WITHDRAWS/PROJECT ENDS

“After reviewing the …Terms of Reference, it is now clear that the dairy industry is expected to financially subsidize the low-cost milk being described in the demonstration project and beyond. Several times we have made it known that the dairy industry is not prepared to provide this subsidy, when this issue is so clearly one of lacking government social assistance.” 14

DISCUSSION

Private sector (dairy farmers, processors, retailers) sells milk at a set cost; unwilling to subsidize; denies excess capacity

Public sector Depts of Agriculture, Health Prom & Prot, and Community Services lacked commitment (Whose program? Too small? Did not partner.)

Women and their advocates including researchers could not mediate even a pilot program. Orphan problem.

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CONCLUSIONS

While imperfect, the initiative’s failure was not a result of our engagement process but more a result of our inability to negotiate the cultural differences between partners, to drive policy from the periphery, and to strike the right chord among an array of policy possibilities for the key actors.

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SO IN THE END ALL WE HAD WAS SPILT MILKTHANK YOU 17