What's on America's Plate

WHAT’S ON AMERICA’S PLATEA Dynamic Look at Today’s Food Policy and Sustainability Discussion

Foreword

What’s On America’s Plate: A Dynamic Look at Today’s Food Policy and Sustainability Discussion

FOREWORDMichael W. Hamm

C.S. Mott Professor of Sustainable Agriculture Michigan State University

This report illustrates the range of ac-tors that are needed as well as important examples – political, NGO and individual – to move our food system to one that puts “health” in the forefront while re-integrat-ing “local food” into a food system that has increasingly negated its value. It also illustrates the critical need to engage a conversation across our country that leads to both political and social will to change the way we conduct business in this arena. While it is clear to most that moving from a fossil fuel energy based economy to a so-lar energy based economy while mitigating the effects of climate change will be the two key drivers of the 21st century; we still struggle mightily with the will to take this with the seriousness it deserves. How we evolve our food system over the next 10-25 years to address these while fully recogniz-ing the role of food in human health and disease prevention presents both chal-lenges and opportunities. We need not approach this strictly as a set of problems to be addressed, but rather can we be more optimistic and proceed as opportunities to be seized. Thinking back while looking forward may provide a vehicle for seizing the opportunity.

It may be useful to remember that com-munities across the United States in the first one-and-a-half centuries of our existence relied largely on food supplies that came from very local (out the front door) to fairly local (within a days carriage ride). With development and the industrial revolution, an increasing percentage of our food supply came from more distant loca-tions. Still, until the latter half of the 20th century, a measurable amount of our food came from relatively local sources. How-ever, in the last fifty years we have seen a rapid globalization of our food supply such that today we import foods from over 140 countries annually with the average con-sumer getting an imperceptible percentage

of their food from local sources (even de-fined as from within their own state) while under consuming such important foods as fruits, vegetables and calcium-rich foods. Rapid suburbanization has grown houses on vast tracts of land that previously produced fruits, vegetables, grains and animal products. In many communities, the mix of skills that included intimate local knowledge of food production has been lost, while in many households, the skills to cook these foods have simultaneously withered away. The economic integration of local farms into a local food system has given way to a global economy that leaves little of the resources for expanded growth in the region while providing more calories with less nutrients.

The 20th century saw a rapid rise in our knowledge of the appropriate mix of fruits, vegetables, dairy, grain and protein sources for a healthy diet. We have come to recog-nize the importance of a healthy break-fast for children in order for them to be prepared to learn in school. We have come to recognize the relationship between a regular, healthy diet and the incidence of various diseases such as Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers. We have come to recognize the relationship between access to this healthy diet and economic status and race. However, all these recognitions to date have not lead to our commitment as a nation that all Americans will have access to a healthy diet from pre-natal development through death such that they are not limited in their ability to reach their potential due to a poor diet.

In my opinion, we thus stand at a cross-roads in our country of political will, community engagement, infrastructure opportunity and individual determination. This report outlines important individuals, organizations and programs among literally thousands across the country that are pav-

ing the way for a new vision of our food system. This food system could be one in which we utilize the interrelationships of economic development, public health, land stewardship and social responsibility to build a more sustainable and robust food system; one in which we re-integrate the ‘local’ into the fabric of good food access while putting a premium on the ‘healthful-ness’ of our food supply.

This move to a re-integrated food system in which communities across the United States preserve and enhance their natural resources and human skills for producing the foods needed for all Americans to con-sume a healthy diet on a daily basis and then to process, distribute, prepare and manage the waste in a manner which en-hances our sustainability is overdue. How-ever, we know it will not be simple. First and foremost we require the political will to enact policies (both public and private) improving the potential of this occurring. Second, we need a meaningful discussion across the country that recognizes both the imperfection of our knowledge and the need to move forward as we continually strive to understand more fully. Third, we need examples based in communities and to identify opportunities for sustainable scale-up to a level where impacts to the food system are observable from the three perspectives of human health, ecological integrity and economic viability.

From the Obama’s White House garden to the development of new farmers; from Mayors in local communities to Federal leg-islators; from the Child Nutrition Act to the Farm Bill to the Energy Bill; from non-gov-ernmental organizations across the country to land grant and private universities. We need a concerted will and courage to act. This report provides snippets of encourage-ment across the spectrum; now we need only turn encouragement into meaningful, substantial action.

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The Health of the Nation

State of Play: Who is Who in Food PolicyThe White House, Centers for Disease Control and PreventionFood and Drug AdministrationDepartment of AgricultureEnvironmental Protection Agency

Legislation to Watch

Organizations and Programs to WatchActive Living By Design, Arganica Farm Club: Farm-to-Table Network, Baltimore City Public Schools, Community Food Security CoalitionFood & Water Watch, FoodWorks New York, Georgia Health Policy Center, Growing PowerJohns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, Kaiser Permanente, Mayor-Led Community Initiatives, Princeton Living WellRudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, National Physical Activity Plan, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, W.K. Kellogg Foundation

Digital Tools and Trends for 2010

About Spectrum


TABLE OF CONTENTS

IS IT SAFE? Over the past four years the United States food system has been hammered with a series of foodborne disease outbreaks involving meat, peanuts, spinach, peppers and lettuce, raising questions about how safe our food supply really is. Over 76 million cases of foodborne illnesses occur every year in the U.S. and result in 300,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths. Experts estimate that foodborne illnesses cost the U.S. $152 billion in health-related expenses annually, without accounting for the costs of pain and suffering. Each successive outbreak erodes consumer confidence in our food system and consumer trust issues don’t end with concern about food poisoning. Parents who are dealing with the dramatic increase in food allergies, some of which are life-threatening to young children, are demanding more and better information and safeguards regarding the sources, production and labeling of the foods kids eat.

IS IT HEALTHY?On a parallel track is the national debate about how to address America’s obesity epidemic. There is little disagreement about the numbers: since 1998 obesity rates in the U.S. grew 37 percent and today over one-third of all adults are

obese. At an annual price of $147 billion in direct medical costs, obesity is also a major contributor to diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some forms of cancer. Even more alarming is childhood obesity. More than one in six children are obese, and 70 percent of those who are afflicted face at least one

The Health of the Nation 2


“Overweight, poor nutrition and diet-related diseases are public health threats of the first order – contributing to numerous chronic health conditions, including heart disease, cancer, diabetes and stroke. But the issues aren’t just medical – they also affect our economy. We spend almost $2 trillion annually on health care in the United States, 75 percent of which goes for treating and managing chronic diseases that are, in many cases, preventable. It is time to take preventative action and give consumers the tools they need to take better control of their diet and health.”

– Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA)

THE HEALTH OF THE NATION

Food – the way we produce, distribute and consume it – was something that most Americans took for granted until recently. We were proud of a system that produced an ever-growing and diverse supply of safe, high quality grains, meats, fruits and vegetables in quantities sufficient – even after exports- to feed the entire country twice over. Today, anxious questions about food – its safety, content and nutritional value – are consuming more and more of our national conversation. And for good reasons.

The Health of the Nation 3


THE HEALTH OF THE NATION

additional risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Who and what are responsible for this dramatic growth in obesity? Americans are ambivalent about this question, with many believing this is an issue of personal responsibility. Although acknowledging the importance of the individual’s decision-making, the public health community diagnoses the problem differently and with an emphasis on the role the environment has played. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has even coined a new term to describe it. In their words, “American society has become ‘obesogenic,’ characterized by environments that promote increased food intake, unhealthful foods, and physical inactivity.” Whatever the cause, the consequences are both personal and collective. Half the health care bill for obesity-related medical costs is being paid by Medicare and Medicaid at taxpayers’ expense and are all absorbing the non-medical costs of decreased productivity and poorer school performance associated with diet-related diseases.

IS IT SUSTAINABLE?A third element of the food debate is sustainability. As policymakers and consumers become more focused on reducing our overall use of energy, the impact of the food system can be lost in conversations about the fuel efficiency of automobiles and appliances. In fact, our food system is second only to cars in its use of energy, and is responsible for nearly 20 percent of our annual consumption of fossil fuels. We are able to produce twice the supply of food our nation needs precisely because of our dependence on cheap fossil fuel. The combination of cheap energy and government subsidies for commodities – corn, soybeans, wheat and rice – creates artificially low prices for many

of the foods that are fueling the obesity epidemic. Further, the low cost of grain and the consolidation of meat and dairy production has led to a system of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), factory farms where animals are raised in densely-packed indoor facilities that pollute the air and water. Estimates vary but we know that, at a minimum, 33 percent of all antibiotics consumed in the U.S. are now administered to healthy animals living in CAFOs. Many in the public health community believe that this overuse of antibiotics in animals that produce our meat and dairy supplies is responsible for drug-resistant bacterial diseases in humans. As the public becomes more aware of the connections among food production, environment and public health, demand is growing for public policies at the national, state and local levels that would promote a system of environmentally conscious production of more healthful food.

In this report, we summarize the current state of play among policymakers here in

Washington who are struggling with ways to reform our food system and address the issues of safety, diet-related disease and sustainability. We also examine the legislative agenda for the year and identify bills that could set the stage for significant reform. Next, we get to the heart of the report: a profile of programs and organizations outside of Washington that are engaged in researching and implementing ways to reform the food system. The challenges are complex, and even the most committed advocates for change acknowledge the need to build a stronger body of evidence to guide the nation’s efforts. The answers will come from more work in universities, communities, industry and public and private organizations that are experimenting with better ways to produce, deliver and consume a safer, more healthful and sustainable food supply. In this report we introduce you to some of them. In the coming months, we will follow the progress of these policymakers, thought leaders and organizations in subsequent updates.


STATE OF PLAY:WHO IS WHO IN FOOD POLICY

State of Play: Who is Who in Food Policy 4

Sam KassCrusading for Healthier Eating

Tom VilsackImproving Food Safety

Dr. Thomas FriedenLeading the CDC

Michelle ObamaLeading by Example

Lisa JacksonProtecting Public Health and

the Environment

Dr. Margaret HamburgInspiring Public Health

Michael R. TaylorOverseeing Food Safety


STATE OF PLAY: THE WHITE HOUSEDuring the first weeks of her husband’s tenure in office, Michelle Obama signaled her interest in leading an effort to improve the way Americans eat. She began by opening up the White House kitchen to the press and using the opportunity to demonstrate how their chefs can make healthy, delicious meals with locally grown nutritious foods. She advocated for community gardens – even opening one of her own on the White House grounds – and visited local schools and soup kitchens where she argued for the need to provide fresh, unprocessed foods to school children and to the neediest members of the D.C. community. Assisting her in these high-profile efforts was Sam Kass, who worked with the Obamas in Chicago and is now the assistant White House chef and food initiative coordinator. Described by journalists as “part chef and part policy wonk,” Kass participates in policy meetings at the White House where food and nutrition issues are discussed and legislative strategy is developed. Kass is particularly interested in reforming the federal school lunch program which has been criticized for serving foods that are high in fat and preservatives.

By November 2009, word was out that the First Lady would be announcing a major new initiative after the first of the year that would focus on childhood obesity. Collaborating with a team of experts from the federal agencies with responsibility for programs that affect children’s health, Obama and her staff had been working on a plan to engage public and private players in a high profile national campaign with the goal of solving the epidemic of childhood obesity within a generation. Launched on February 9, 2010, the Let’s Move Campaign relies on four approaches:

Helping parents by offering them •tools, support and information to make healthier choices for their families,

Improving the quality of food in •schools,

Making healthy foods more affordable •and accessible for families, and

Increasing opportunities for children •to be more physically active, both in and out of school.

The campaign will be coordinated by an interagency task force created by a Presidential Memorandum and staffed by senior officials from the White House, the Office of Management and Budget and the Departments of Health and Human Services, Agriculture and Education.

The First Lady plans to engage private sector support and participation in Let’s Move. Two months into the campaign, leaders in business, athletics, medicine and science have signaled their interest in contributing to the effort. One of the campaign’s challenges will be to maintain the spirit of public/private cooperation as the changes Obama is advocating begin threatening the bottom lines for industries whose business models are based on the current system.

STATE OF PLAY: CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTIONWithin a month of taking office as the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in June 2009, Dr. Tom Frieden was presiding over the first-ever national conference on obesity. Focused on obesity prevention

and control, the inaugural Weight of the Nation Conference drew over 1,000 participants from across the country. The aim was to identify strategies that would effectively prevent obesity in youth and adults. The conversation included economic analyses of the cost burden of obesity and the cost effectiveness of prevention strategies. Participants also discussed the regulatory and legislative approaches to prevention that are underway in states and communities, and presented findings on the evidence base

STATE OF PLAY: WHO IS WHO IN FOOD POLICY

“The idea here is very simple: to put in place common sense, innovative solutions that empower families and communities to make health decisions for their kids.

– Michelle Obama




for policy and environmental approaches to the obesity epidemic.

Frieden is one of the nation’s leading experts on the obesity epidemic and he came to CDC with a significant track record of using regulatory tools to combat unhealthy behaviors and environments. During his tenure as Commissioner of the New York City Health Department, New York became the first city in the U.S. to eliminate trans-fats from restaurants, rigorously monitor the city’s diabetes epidemic, and require certain restaurants to post calorie information.

In his opening remarks at the Weight of the Nation Conference, Frieden pointed out that obesity and diabetes “are the only major health problems that are getting worse in this country and they’re getting worse rapidly.” He then laid out his prescription for dealing with the obesity epidemic:

“Reversing obesity is not going to be done successfully with individual effort. It will be done successfully as a society only with societal effort. We did not get to this situation over the past three

decades because of any change in our genetics or any change in our food preferences. We got to this stage of the epidemic because of a change in our environment. And only a change in our environment again will allow us to get back to a healthier place…”

If Michelle Obama is in the role of inspiring leader and diplomatic persuader in the campaign to prevent obesity, Freiden’s role is that of the field marshal. Last month, the influential publication Health Affairs published a series of articles researched and written by Frieden and his colleagues at CDC. The piece on childhood obesity for which he was lead author is the equivalent of a manifesto for aggressively re-shaping the environment that encourages dangerous eating patterns and sedentary behavior. Frieden advocates for using a full arsenal of tools, including:

Price and tax policies• aimed at reducing consumption of unhealthy food and encouraging consumption of fresh, nutritious food,

Restrictions on advertising• , zoning

restrictions to reduce children’s exposure to unhealthy food, coupled with counter-advertising and incentives to expand access to healthy alternatives and

Alterations to the built environment •to encourage activity levels for children coupled with complementary strategies aimed at reducing children’s TV watching and providing alternative forms of family and community recreation.

STATE OF PLAY: FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for ensuring that all domestic and imported foods – other than processed egg products, meat and poultry – are safe and properly labeled. Given the size and scope of the U.S. food industry, this would be a monumental job for any federal agency, but within the FDA, food safety must compete with the Agency’s other obligation to oversee the nation’s drug and device industry and has

“Nutrition information on Web sites, tray liners and other inconvenient places doesn’t work. If people are going to be able to use nutrition information, it has to be at the point of ordering, not on a poster back by the bathroom or after they’ve ordered the food.

– Margo Wootan, Nutrition Policy Director, Center for Science in the Public Interest

“The real goal is not just a number on a scale, but optimal health for all Americans at every stage of life.

– Surgeon General Regina M. Benjamin


http://www.cspinet.org

http://www.cspinet.org



been a losing battle for some time, as FDA budgets have tightened and resources have been more heavily weighted on its drug and device functions. Early on, the Obama Administration pledged to correct that imbalance by expanding the agency’s resources for food safety and endorsing a legislative overhaul of the food safety system that would expand FDA authority.

While Congress has been working on the new food safety law over the past 15 months, FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg has been reorganizing the food safety programs within the FDA and flexing the agency’s regulatory muscle with the food industry around labeling issues. For the first time in its history, the FDA now has an Office of Foods, headed by Deputy Commissioner Mike Taylor, who reports directly to Hamburg and has direct line authority over the food programs. Taylor served in the Clinton Administration at both FDA and USDA, and later worked for Monsanto. He will be charged with implementing the new food safety law when Congress finishes its work this year. In his words, “This may well be the Agency’s greatest opportunity for real change to improve food safety in 100 years.”

Action on food labeling won’t wait for the food safety overhaul legislation. Consistent with the White House initiative to take on the epidemic of diet-related

disease by providing consumers with more and better information about the food they eat, Hamburg has made reliable nutrition labeling a top priority. Last fall, she called on food companies to review their labeling practices and earlier this year the FDA stepped up its oversight by issuing warning letters to 17 companies, informing them that labeling on 22

of their products is in violation of the law that requires labels to be truthful. Hamburg and Taylor are also working on new guidance for industry for the front of food packages. The FDA has commissioned research to determine how to display front-of-pack information that is useful to consumers. Once the findings are in, agency officials plan to work with industry to design and implement the new labels.

The FDA’s Office of Food will also have a hand in carrying out a provision in the recently enacted health care reform bill that requires calorie labeling on chain restaurant menus, menu boards and vending machines. Public health advocates have lobbied to enact calorie labeling requirements for nearly a decade and are delighted about the new law. Margo Wooten, of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, called it a “huge victory for consumers after a 7-year fight.” The FDA has been given 12 months to create implementing regulations and will be responsible for reporting to Congress on the progress of the new system on a quarterly basis. In the meantime, consumer groups are sure to keep a close eye on how the FDA implements the new law.

STATE OF PLAY: DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUREAs it began consideration of a bill to overhaul the nation’s food safety system last year, Congress considered proposals to create a separate federal agency devoted exclusively to food safety. Creation of a new agency did not survive deliberations in the House or the Senate, in part because of strong resistance from agribusiness interests and members of Congress who represent farm states. But hearings and testimony from experts on this issue exposed serious questions about what some feel is an inherent conflict

Agriculture is directly responsible for about 20 percent of man-made emissions of greenhouse gases.





of interest in USDA’s mission. Created to support the agriculture community and promote agriculture products in the U.S. and abroad, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) was later charged with ensuring the safety of the food supply under its jurisdiction, primarily meat and poultry products – a function far more compatible with public health than with commercial development and export promotion.

USDA’s programs have also expanded over the past century to include management of nutrition programs for school children, women and infants, low-income families and the elderly. This mission creep occurred not because USDA had expertise in public health, but rather, because of USDA’s charge to support the farm sector. In the early stages, the nutrition programs were sourced with excess commodities the government had purchased from farmers as an income-support measure. USDA is now in the position of administering crop subsidy programs that have created artificially low prices for many of the foods that are fueling the diet-related disease epidemic. And the populations at highest risk for those diseases are the very groups that USDA’s nutrition programs are serving: poor children and families.

Today, USDA finds itself in a balancing act between its primary mission of supporting the agriculture sector while at the same time carrying out its responsibilities to public health. At the helm is Secretary Tom Vilsack, former two-term governor of Iowa. Early in his tenure at the Department, Vilsack told reporters he supported the creation of a single food safety agency. “We need a single agency that’s working in a modern framework,” Vilsack said. “We don’t have that today.” And barring a dramatic turn of events in Congress, we won’t have it later this year when the food safety bill is completed, in part because of strong resistance from agribusiness interests and members of

Congress from farm states.

Beyond the issue of food safety, Vilsack and his team will play a significant role in the First Lady’s Let’s Move Campaign which is aiming to make dramatic changes in the school nutrition programs that USDA administers. It will be interesting to see how Vilsack negotiates competing interests among his constituencies and how well USDA responds to pressure from CDC Director Tom Frieden and the public health community to alter federal tax and subsidy policies as a means of dealing with our “obesogenic” environment. Vilsack will also take on initiatives to promote farm-to-school programs, encourage community gardens and deal with food deserts – all of which are top priorities for the First Lady.

STATE OF PLAY: ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCYThe U.S. food system relies heavily on Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), large livestock and poultry operations that raise animals in confined facilities. CAFOs produce millions of tons of waste that can degrade air and water quality – the largest CAFOs can generate more raw waste than the populations of some U.S. cities produce annually. Over the past decade, consolidation in the livestock industry has led to growth in the number and size of CAFOs, which are also referred to as factory farms.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the federal agency charged with regulating CAFOs because of their potential threat to the environment, but it has not had the resources to do an effective job. Over the past 10 years, at least 15 government-sponsored or peer-reviewed studies have directly linked air and water pollutants from animal waste to specific health and environmental

impacts. According to a Government Accountability Office report two years ago, EPA hasn’t assessed the extent to which these pollutants may be impairing human health and the environment because it lacks key data. Critics argue that past EPA leadership has also lacked the political will to take on the agribusiness industry.

It will be up to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson to determine whether and how to take on the CAFO challenge. In an interview last year, Jackson said EPA needs to re-examine its policies on CAFOs. “We need change in everything from policy and enforcement.” If Congress takes up legislation to amend the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts, EPA could open the door for statutory changes that would strengthen its regulatory and enforcement capacity.

LEGISLATION TO WATCH


EXPANDING AND FUNDING CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMSThe Child Nutrition programs are reauthorized every five years in legislation that funds school-based and other programs for low-income children. In late March 2010, the Senate Agriculture Committee moved The Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act through their committee with unanimous approval. In addition to paying for the federal child nutrition programs the Senate bill gives USDA new powers to set nutritional standards for

any food sold on school grounds, rather than just the federally funded school lunch and breakfast programs. It also expands the use of local farm products, organic food and school gardens. Most important, it increases funding by $4.5 billion over the next 10 years. This is less than the $10 billion increase proposed by the White House, but is still the most significant increase to the program in decades.

The House began work on reauthorizing the child nutrition programs in 2009, but has yet to bring a bill to the floor for a vote. The Child Nutrition Promotion and

School Lunch Protection Act of 2009 is still under consideration by the House Education and Labor Committee, headed by Chairman George Miller (D-CA) and Ranking Member John Kline (R-MN). The bill was drafted before the First Lady launched the Let’s Move Campaign, so the committee is expected to update the bill with an eye to incorporating relevant elements of the Campaign’s agenda.

Advocates are hoping that Congress will send a bill to the President early this summer, in time to affect school programs by the start of the new school year in September.

FOOD SAFETY OVERHAULIn the case of food safety, the House is far ahead of the Senate. In July 2009, the House passed The Food Safety Enhancement Act. The bill gives FDA new authority to deal with outbreaks of foodborne illness and to set standards for producing domestic and imported food. The inspection process would be improved dramatically: FDA would be able to require more information during inspections and would be charged with setting up a process to trace the source of foodborne illness. Full, on-site inspections of high-risk facilities would occur every 6 to 12 months and lower-risk facilities would be visited by inspectors every 18 to 36 months. Costs for the expansion in inspections would be covered in part by a new $500 fee per food facility.

The Senate has been much slower to act. The Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee did not report out a bill until November 2009, and the full Senate has yet to take it up for consideration. The Senate bill is similar

Legislation to Watch 9

to the House version in most respects, but does not include the yearly inspection fee on food facilities. The Chairman of the HELP Committee, Tom Harkin (D-IA), hopes to finish work on a final bill by early summer.

MORE REGULATION OF CAFOSConcern about the environmental and public health effects of concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) could translate into legislation that would place restrictions on the use of non-therapeutic antibiotics in food animals and strengthen EPA’s authority to regulate air and water pollution generated by the facilities.

There are companion bills in the House and Senate, entitled The Preservation of Anti-biotics for Medical Treatment Act (PAMTA), that would phase out the non-therapeutic use of antibiotics in livestock. Many scientists suspect that use of antibiotics in healthy animals has resulted in drug-resistant bacterial infections and other health problems in humans. PAMTA aims to respond to those concerns. These bills have been referred to committees in both chambers, but no action has been taken so far this Congress.

Although no bills have been introduced specific to regulation of pollutants as-sociated with CAFOs, legislation to amend both The Clean Water Act and The Clean Air Act has been introduced in the Senate and could become vehicles for that purpose.

Legislation to Watch 10


LEGISLATION TO WATCH

“There is simply no reason to continue the profligate use of valuable antibiotics for economic purposes or to compensate for the stressful, crowded animal production facilities. The improved management practices necessary to reduce, if not avoid, antibiotic use are available and feasible. Yet, production agriculture has been unwilling to acknowledge, much less act on, this problem. We cannot tolerate this situation any longer. To protect our food supply and the public health, we must pass PAMTA.

– Dr. Margret Mellon, Food and Environment Program Director, Union of Concerned Scientists

ORGANIZATIONS AND PROGRAMS TO WATCH


ACTIVE LIVING BY DESIGN Creating Healthy and Active Environments in 75 Communities across the United StatesActive Living By Design (ALBD), part of the North Carolina Institute for Public Health, at the University of North Carolina’s Gillings School of Global Public Health, supports community-led change by working with local and national partners to build a culture of active living and healthy eating. One of ALBD’s main initiatives is the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities program that works in 50 communities across the U.S. to implement healthy eating and active living policies to reverse childhood obesity. This program has seen results in several communities including Somerville, Mass., where officials use the Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities funding to promote environmental and policy changes across public health, parks and recreation, education, active transportation, community development and social services.

ARGANICA FARM CLUB: FARM-TO-TABLE NETWORK Limiting Food Deserts, Reducing Access Issues and Offering Farm to Fork Options for City DwellersArganica Farm Club is Washington, D.C.’s first local-source food company providing weekly home delivery. Arganica has made local food buying convenient and accessible to conscientious eaters as well as to those who live in food deserts where only packaged, highly processed foods are readily available. The organization’s goal is to provide a healthy, locally sourced variety of affordable foods from the best small-scale and artisan producers, while creating a better market for the family farms and producers

involved. In 2010, Arganica plans to increase its membership and relationships between consumers and farmers.

BALTIMORE CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLSEducating the Next Generation about healthy and Local Food

In September 2009, Baltimore’s 83,000-student school district adopted Meatless Monday, a public health initiative associated with The Johns Hopkins University that encourages people to eat meatless meals one day per week. The program suggests that going meatless one day per week can reduce the risk of chronic preventable conditions, diminish carbon footprints and save resources such as fresh water and fossil fuel, which are required for the transportation of animal food products. The Baltimore City Public Schools aimed to lead the country in educating the next generation of Americans about food cultivation and preparation. School administrators work with local farmers

and distributors committed to using local suppliers to provide schools with fresh produce. The school district is also developing resources to establish gardens at all 200 schools in the district.

COMMUNITY FOOD SECURITY COALITIONExpanding Urban Access to Healthy FoodsThe Community Food Security Coalition is a non-profit coalition dedicated to building sustainable food systems to provide affordable, nutritious and culturally acceptable food to all people. Based in Portland, Ore., CFSC advocates for federal policies that support community food security and works to properly implement relevant programs. CFSC co-sponsors the

The most frequently purchased items at corner stores are energy-dense, low nutritive items, such as sugar-sweetened and artificially flavored drinks, nacho cheese flavored chips and candy.

Below is a sampling of notable organizations and programs that are implementing innovative ideas to improve the health, fitness and well-being of communities nationwide.

Organizations and Programs to Watch 12


Healthy Corner Store Network with The Food Trust, which has more than 350 participants, all of whom share best practices and work to develop approaches for providing fresh and healthy food to underserved communities.

FOOD & WATER WATCHEducating Stakeholders and the General Public on How to Expand Access to Clean Food and WaterFood & Water Watch is a non-profit organization that raises awareness about the environmental and public health implications of food and water contamination. The organization produces research-based studies and reports, and supports grassroots movements to encourage the protection of public water and the growth of sustainable and safe food production. In 2010, Food & Water Watch is focused on food safety legislation, country of origin policies, conversations preceding the next farm bill and the USDA’s increased involvement with traceability mechanisms. Due to its lobbying efforts, media coverage and public and policymaker education, Food & Water Watch is a significant advocate in the environmental community.

FOODWORKS NEW YORKRevolutionizing America’s Largest City’s Food System In late 2009, New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn introduced a new initiative called FoodWorks New York with the goal of improving public health, creating jobs and reducing the environmental damage caused by food transportation, production, sales and consumption. FoodWorks New York builds on previous New York food policy achievements such as limiting artificial trans fats in restaurants. The initiative calls for every step of the New York food system to be evaluated and redefined in order to develop a blueprint for improvement.

GEORGIA HEALTH POLICY CENTERProviding the Evidence to Impact Childhood Nutrition and Obesity PolicyThe Georgia Health Policy Center (GHPC) provides evidence-based research, training and educational tools to support a variety of public health outcomes. Under the leader-ship of Executive Director Karen Minyard, GHPC has introduced a Childhood Obesity Model to provide policymakers with the ability to explore solu-tions to the childhood obesity crisis. In 2010, the GHPC hopes to refine and expand the model to include more interventions. GHPC is also working with the Georgia Department of Education to implement a state law to require a fitness assessment for all students enrolled in physical education classes.

GROWING POWERTransforming Communities by Creating Healthy Food SystemsGrowing Power is a Milwaukee, Wis. based non-profit that transforms communities by changing the way people think about and produce food. In 1993, farmer Will Allen partnered to train teens to grow food for their communities. His passion for


“The truth is, each step in the food cycle – from the farm all the way to the table – has a major impact on the lives of every New Yorker. And each step has the potential to create jobs, to improve public health and to preserve our shared environment. Or – if we continue to ignore those opportunities – the potential to cost us jobs, increase obesity and pollute our air.

– Christine Quinn




sustainable food systems has grown into a wide range of projects including training and youth programs, educational sessions and keynote speaking. In addition, Growing Power runs the Rainbow Farmers Cooperative, which distributes food from over 300 family farms to communities. Growing Power’s community food systems provide healthy, safe and affordable food.

JOHNS HOPKINS CENTER FOR A LIVABLE FUTURE Bringing Attention to the Sustainability Issues Surrounding Food Production, the Environment and Human Health The Johns Hopkins Center for A Livable Future (CLF) educates stakeholders about the connections between food production, diet, the environment and public health in order to inform the public and policymakers on the state and federal levels toward more sustainable systems. Some of CLF’s key research focuses on how industrialized food production systems impact public health and the environment. In 2009, CLF launched the Livable Future Blog (LFB) to serve as a forum to interact with online reporters and develop a community of sustainability advocates. The blog was highlighted in The New York Times as “one of the top 10 sustainable blogs to read.”

KAISER PERMANENTE Supporting Food Banks through its Healthy Eating During Hard Times Program Kaiser Permanente, the largest-not-for-profit health plan in the U.S., allocated $2.1 million in 2009 for grants and donations to nonprofit organizations that provide access to healthy foods at food banks and that help boost participation in federal nutrition programs. Some of the food bank programs supported by Kaiser Permanente include:

Maui Food Bank, which is using $50,000 for its Fresh-4-•All program that provides fresh, locally grown food for the indigent, homeless and at-risk island population of Maui,

Loaves and Fishes of Portland, Ore., which is utilizing •$60,000 to buy fruits and vegetables for senior citizens, and

Manna Food Center of Gaithersburg, Md., which is using •$100,000 for Smart Snacks, a program that provides a bag of nutritious, kid-friendly food to more than 1,050 elementary school children each week.

With farmers markets at more than 30 medical facilities, Kaiser Permanente is also dedicated to providing fresh, locally grown food to its staff, patients and community members. The organization further promotes healthy eating within its medical facilities with Healthy Picks, a program that offers healthier food options in both vending and cafeteria services in 34 Kaiser medical centers. In addition, 23 Kaiser hospitals use locally grown fruits and vegetables in their kitchens.

MAYOR-LED COMMUNITY INITIATIVES Implementing Food, Obesity and Physical Activity Reform in Local CommunitiesSeveral local leaders across the country decided to make important changes in their communities by introducing wellness and nutrition initiatives. Mayor Mick Cornett (R) began the This City is Going on a Diet obesity initiative in Oklahoma City in which 40,000 participants lost 519,000 pounds in a single year. Mayor R.T. Rybak (D) launched the Homegrown Minneapolis initiative to work with farmers markets, community and backyard gardens, small enterprise urban agriculture and grocery stores for local and sustainable food. Mayor Robert Cluck (R) worked with the Arlington school district to improve school food and encourage children to become more physically active. These mayors, among many others, have recognized the importance of bringing attention to health issues on a local level and serve as a model for successful community programs.

PRINCETON LIVING WELLPromoting Healthier Habits throughout a CommunityPrinceton Living Well (PLW) is a healthy lifestyle program designed to promote diabetes prevention, weight control and general wellness throughout the Princeton, New Jersey community. With the leadership from Viocare, Inc. President Rick Weiss, PLW provides a way for community members to form a support network, thus encouraging individuals to maintain healthier lifestyles. The 2,100 PLW members have access to wellness resources such as a community calendar featuring activities focused on nutrition and fitness, a health blog and tools such as BMI and heart rate calculators. In 2010, PLW leaders plan to continue to launch America Living Well, a series of similar community structures throughout the country and expand the concept by integrating local corporate wellness programs to create a local funded and sustainable model for community wellness.





RUDD CENTER FOR FOOD POLICY AND OBESITYA Research Institution Dedicated to Improving the Way We EatHoused at Yale University, the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity is a non-profit research and public policy organization dedicated to improving the world’s diet, preventing obesity and reducing the stigmatization of obese and overweight individuals. Founded in 2005, the Center is a leader in the ongoing dialogue to change diet and physical activity patterns, while holding industry and government agencies responsible for safeguarding public health. One of the Center’s programs is the Yale Sustainable Food Project, which includes a sustainable dining program at Yale, an organic farm on campus and several subsidiary programs that support the study of food and agriculture. Currently, the Center is promoting its recent studies on the impact of nutrition labels on consumer choices and the influence of food marketing on children from vulnerable populations.

NATIONAL PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PLANA Coalition Rallying Worksites, Schools and Communities to Become More Physically ActiveThe National Physi-cal Activity Plan (NPAP) is a grow-ing coalition of organizations and individuals dedi-cated to increas-ing the number of Americans achiev-ing physical activ-ity benchmarks. The coalition is based at the Prevention Research Center at the University of South Carolina and has organizational partners that include CDC, American Heart Association, AARP, YMCA and American Cancer Society. The NPAP coalition encourages workplaces and communities to adopt a physical activity plan similar to those already in use in countries such as Canada, Scotland, Finland and Pakistan. The NPAP focuses on reaching its goal of increased physical activity through eight key sectors including public health, education, mass media and health care. The campaign is set to officially launch on May 3, 2010 in 12 states.

NATIONAL SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE COALITIONProviding Family Farm and Conservation Organizations a Voice in Washington The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) is a leading advo-cate for sustainable agriculture policy. Partnering with over 80 grassroots organizations from across the country, NSAC takes a stand on federal policies and programs that support small and mid-size family farms, protect natural resources, foster healthy rural com-munities and increase consumer access to healthy foods. NSAC also promotes advanced land management conserva-tion systems, value-added agriculture and sustainable agriculture research. Its blog, Something to Crow About, provides real-time analysis of farm, food safety and sustainability policy issues. In 2010, NSAC will continue to advocate for increased funding for farm-to-school programs in The Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act and support for The Conservation Stewardship Program, a working land conservation program designed to reward farmers for conservation excellence.

W.K. KELLOGG FOUNDATIONFunding a Series of Programs to Improve Access to Healthy Foods and Encourage Physical ActivityThe W.K. Kellogg Foundation engages local communities and schools to increase access to healthier foods and encourages physical activity as a way to combat childhood obesity and stress. Since the mid-1990s, the foundation has granted more than $230 million in support for healthy food and farming projects. In November 2009, the foundation awarded $32.5 million in grants to local community programs through its initiative, Food & Com-munity. This initiative encourages community leaders and organi-zations to work together to transform school and community food systems and promote active living and routine physical activity.

The foundation supports youth and community activism with its Food & Fitness Initiative. Through local community collaboration, this program aims to advance integrated, sustainable and practical solutions for public health and agriculture. The Food & Fitness Pol-icy Council in Holyoke, Mass., for example, has helped to support its local economy and give children access to fresh and nutritious food by encouraging schools to purchase locally grown produce.

Twitter is now used as a platform to an-•nounce food recalls. Online food safety advocates like Bill Marler (@bmarler) have used Twitter to, in 140 characters or less, announce the latest recalls or questionable food safety issues and spread a message broadly in a short amount of time. With the use of hashtags like #profood and #foodsafety, an online community is quickly assembled around the latest news in the world of food safety.

The FDA’s • food safety widget is the first online resource that compiles all food recall information from the FDA and the USDA in the same place.

Food and Water Watch’s first-ever •national map charts the distribution of factory farms across the U.S. The interactive search tool is easy to use, functional and provides a frightening revelation about how industry is affect-ing agriculture.

Online nutrition trackers, such as the •tracker built by Fooducate, allow the everyday consumer to type in the name of a food item or a UPC code, and receive a digital diagnosis of what he or she is really about to eat.

MyFood-A-Pedia is a new government search tool for nutrition content that puts official government data within a few keystrokes of everyday consumers.

Regulations.gov allowed consumers to •submit nutrition label suggestions to the FDA in late 2009. This marks the first occasion where the FDA has taken suggestions from the public on this issue.

The Lunch Box is a new site built by the Food Family Farming Foundation, in conjunction with a number of partners and benefactors. It is an information source on quality nutrition for schools and children and provides tips on how to build programs that include proper nutrition.

A call to action in the food industry •has never been easier than with the Consumers Union’s tool to email your state and district representatives. Consumers can directly contact their Members’ offices and urge action on the food safety bill.

Mobile: Restaurant Nutrition (free) — •Mashable calls this the “most dis-turbing” of the nutrition fact iPhone applications. It lists the nutrition facts for most popular chain restaurants and gives consumers a better understanding of what they are eating.

The Economic Research Service (ERS) •of the USDA has developed an online interactive Food Environment Atlas, which details a dozen different food issues across the U.S. The ERS allows

you to create your own map based on issues like food access, food prices and physical activity. It is a great digital tool that comprehensively maps our food landscape and helps us understand the extent of our food and nutrition issues.

ONLINE ADVOCATES TO WATCH

Hemi Weingarten (@Fooducate) has set out to decipher the enigma of modern nutrition labels. With daily posts that focus

on nutrition and food safety, his blog, Fooducate, helps Americans “eat a bit better” by offering simple and practical advice to debunk the food industry’s many claims. In addition to highly readable and informational posts, Fooducate has a help-ful online search tool that breaks down the nutrition content in thousands of food products, attempting to “healthify” our supermarket choices.

Liz McLellan (@hyperlocavore) creator of hyperlocavore.com has coined the term “hyperlo-cavore” in the blogosphere.

Being a hyperlocavore means maintaining a healthy lifestyle while cutting down your

The growth of online information sharing has had a profound effect on the food and nutrition policy landscapes by increasing the amount of information that is available for individual consumers and groups. Expanding the number of online tools has made it quicker and easier to share information and develop partnerships. With an abundance of research and a wide network of allies just a click away, the way people become informed on food and nutrition issues has changed. The massive popularity of social networking will continue to elevate the visibility of major issues in this space.

Digital Tools and Trends for 2010 17


DIGITAL TOOLS AND TRENDS FOR 2010

•

•

https://twitter.com/bmarler

food safety widget

http://www.factoryfarmmap.org/

http://alpha.fooducate.com/

http://www.myfoodapedia.gov/

http://cspinet.org/new/200912071.html

http://www.thelunchbox.org

https://secure.consumersunion.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=2169

http://maps.ers.usda.gov/FoodAtlas/

http://twitter.com/fooducate

http://www.fooducate.com/blog/

http://twitter.com/hyperlocavore

http://hyperlocavore.wordpress.com/

carbon footprint, and saving a few dollars while you’re at it. Her online community (a yardsharing community) offers news surrounding local food movements and encourages readers to team up with neigh-bors and friends to start a “yard share,” an arrangement between people to share skills and gardening resources in order to grow food as locally as possible. Liz is also on YouTube.

Eddie Gehman Kohan (@ObamaFoodorama) is a food and agriculture writer who created Obama Foodorama during the 2008

presidential campaign to cover anything having to do with President Obama and food. Kohan blogs about all White House food initiatives – this includes every-thing from food policy analysis to the first Thanksgiving at the White House, to the First Lady’s organic garden. With a substantially large Twitter following, Obama Foodorama is a favorite of many D.C. foodies.

Rob Smart (@JamButter), creator of The Snap Blog, wants to fix our food system. He encour-ages his blog’s readers to

eat sustainably, for personal health and

the health of the environment and the economy. Smart explains to his readers that the food industry does not operate in a bubble and that what we put in our bodies ultimately creates a chain reaction, from the government all the way to the environment. He blogs about the joys and benefits of eating sustainably by offering practical advice and challenging his read-ers to eat locally.

People’s Grocery (@peoplesgrocery) is an Oakland, Calif. based organization that focuses on building health and nutri-

tion solutions to counter lack of ac-cess to healthy food. Executive Director Nikki Henderson leads the team and plans to expand operations with the hope of having a greater impact on community food systems. The organization gathers supporters of food access, food safety and food justice – the idea that access to healthy foods is a human right. People’s Grocery is built on the tenant that, “as the food system continues to decline our belief in new and bold solutions becomes stronger.” This belief has been part of the group’s drive to use its site and social networking tools to spread its message.

US Food Safety Corporation (@foodsafeguru) is the au-thor of the US Food Safety Blog and is an organization with the simple goal of

being an independent voice for spreading information about food safety. The blog works to fill a void within the digital space

and be a single, cohesive and accessible source for all food recalls and food supply problems. US Food Safety Blog works in tandem with its Twitter account to issue warnings and updates on the latest safety topics.

Darya Pino (@Summertomato) is the creator and author of the blog, Summer Tomato. Pino is a scientist and self-de-

scribed “foodie” in the San Francisco area. Pino advocates local and seasonal foods and uses her online presence to promote healthy eating and offer tips on how to do

it. “Health is our greatest resource and though it some-times seems elusive, anyone can achieve it,” says Pino, who sees nutrition as the key to achieving good health. Pino’s education in bio-logical sciences has shown her that pre-venting and curing a large number of dis-eases can be linked to food choices and

she is using her digital platform to spread that message globally.

Bill Marler (@bmarler) is a widely recognized advocate in the food policy world for his vocal opposition to big food

producers’ food safety violations. Marler is an attorney with more than 15 years of experience championing food safety cases surrounding E. coli and salmonella. Marler has taken to the Web to continue his advocacy and his blog, the Marler Blog, has given him a larger platform into the nutrition world to continue his crusade for higher standards and more accountability.

Digital Tools and Trends for 2010 19

“The first leap one must make in embracing Pro Food is that significant change is required in how we grow, process, distribute, prepare and consume food.

– The Snap Blog

“@ObamaFoodorama: Why does @bmarler notify public of Class 1 recall before USDA? http://bit.ly/5rkoyc TX to @gastropoda for tweeting


DIGITAL TOOLS AND TRENDS FOR 2010

http://www.youtube.com/user/hyperlocavore

http://twitter.com/ObamaFoodorama

http://obamafoodorama.blogspot.com/

http://obamafoodorama.blogspot.com/

http://twitter.com/Jambutter

http://www.sugarsnapvt.com/the-snap-blog/

http://twitter.com/peoplesgrocery

https://twitter.com/foodsafeguru

http://usfoodsafety.wordpress.com/

http://usfoodsafety.wordpress.com/

http://www.twitter.com/summertomato

http://summertomato.com/



http://www.marlerblog.com/

http://bit.ly/5rkoyc

http://twitter.com/gastropoda

Spectrum is a full-service communications agency that specializes in science and health. Founded in 1996, Spectrum brings over a decade of outstanding results in media and public relations, public affairs, advocacy and regulatory affairs, branding and digital communications. Our team of science, health and communications experts works in collaboration to help ensure our clients’ success.

Spectrum’s public affairs practice specializes in strategies to shape state and federal policy, to launch successful education campaigns and to navigate the legislative and regulatory process. Our food and nutrition practice specializes in the development and implementation of issue campaigns, digital strategy and creative communications solutions that engage advocates, policymakers and others around food and nutrition policy aimed at improving public health.

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