Global Food, Local Hunger: Investigating Government Incentives For Equitable Local Food Systems

1. Global Food, Local Hunger: Investigating Government Incentives for Access to Local Food Brian Flynn’s Senior Thesis Seminar Thursday, November 17 12PM, UEL Global Food, Local Hunger:Investigating Government Incentives For Equitable Local Food Systems Brian Bamford Flynn November 17, 2004

2. The Global Food System Farm Distribution/Processing Center Supermarket You • Distribution centers source food from all over the globe - Relies on availability of affordable fossil fuels. • Locus of production inconsequential in global food system. - Consumer left in the dark about where and how food was grown.

3. West Coast to Providence: 3000 miles Holland to Providence: 3500 miles 8 tons of CO2 Chile to Providence: 5150 miles Brazil to Providence: 4770 miles Argentina to Providence: 5304 miles New Zealand to Providence: 9098 miles Distances for Produce at a Providence Stop&Shop

5. Agribusiness: Big Players Behind the Scenes

6. “And one of our great strengths in this country is the productivity of our farmer and rancher. One of the great strengths of America is that we produce more food than we need. And if you produce more food than you need, it seems like to me that you ought to work to sell that food overseas to people.” -George W. Bush, 2002

7. Global Trade, Hunger at Home - 12% of households in the US considered “food insecure” - 4% of households in US considered “food insecure with hunger” (USDA, 2004)

8. Local Food Movements • Food consciousness is on the rise! • Increased interest in organics • Increased mainstream media coverage • Number of US farmers markets increased 79% between 1994-2002. • Reasons for shopping local: • Freshness/nutrition • Environmental/social concern • Know your grower

9. Woodstock Farms (CT): 38.23 miles Cooks Valley (MA): 18.71 miles SCLT: 2.54 miles 0.09 tons of CO2 Hill Orchards: 13.78 miles Bettencourt Farm: 12.86 miles Arcadian Fields: 35.6 miles Wishing Stone Farm: 35 miles Distances Traveled to Hope High Farmer’s Market

10. What are you getting at, Brian? • On the whole, our country is immersed in the global food system. • The global food system relies heavily on fossil fuels, corporate ownership, and an un-informed consumer base. • Hunger is persistent in our society • Local food systems are on the rise To what extent, if any, do federal subsidies/programs contribute to local food security? Local food security: “A condition in which all community residents obtain a safe, culturally acceptable, nutritionally adequate diet through a sustainable food system that maximizes community self-reliance and social justice." (Hamm, 2002)

11. The next half-hour or so • Intro (already did that) • Methods • Findings • Conclusions • Recommendations

12. USDA Production Distribution Where does food go after harvest? What are the outlets for marketing food? Who has access to purchasing food? Who grows the food? Where does food come from? What methods are used in producing food? Production Distribution Agriculture Subsidies Food Assistance Programs Food System Analysis: A process by which we can “identify the structures and outcomes related to how food is grown, processed and manufactured, distributed, marketed, and sold.”

13. Methods To what extent, if any, do federal subsidies/programs contribute to local food security? • Methods • Assemble USDA Production Subsidy Data for US and RI • Identify key Federal and State initiatives that support local food systems and local food security • Using Providence as a case-study, look at programs’ ability to create local food security • Mapping and price comparisons to identify barriers to access to local food

14. 2002 Farm Bill cuts commodity subsidies in half USDA Production Subsidies -Commodity Purpose: To stabilize Farm Income - Conservation Programs: Various forms of price supports for farmers - Account for ~80% of all USDA production subsidies Purpose: To help farmers and ranchers meet environmental challenges on their land -Disaster • Programs: Rent payments to keep land idle, cost- shares for environmental measures • Account for ~12% of USDA production subsidies Purpose: To provide assistance to farmers and ranchers in the wake of a natural disaster (i.e. hurricane, drought) -Account for ~9% of USDA production subsidies

15. USDA Production Subsidies to RI

16. Top Ten USDA Subsidy Programs to Rhode Island

17. Commodity Subsidies in RI • Purpose: To stabilize farm income • Account for 1/3 of subsidies in RI 1995-2004. • An average $136,000 per year • Mainly dairy, corn, livestock, and apples • Recipients tend to receive subsidy year after year • Majority of top subsidy recipients in RI 1995-2004 received commodity support. • At lowest levels in five years for 2004

18. Conservation Subsidies to RI • Purpose: Provide technical and financial assistance to address natural resource concerns • ~70% are Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) subsidies • On the rise for RI? Nearly $500,000 in conservation subsidies in 2004.

19. Highlights of USDA Production Subsidies to RI • RI ranks 49th for number of farms; receives the least amount of production subsidies • 858 farms in RI; less than 10% received federal subsidies in 2004 • Commodity subsidies should continue to decrease; conservation subsidies on the rise • 40 farms received 94% of subsidies 1995-2004.

20. Rhode Island Hunger Stats • RI ranks 24th in the US for percentage of households that are “food insecure” (12.7%) • Unfortunately, RI ranks 2nd for percent increase in food insecurity between 2001 and 2004 (39.1%)

21. Where Do We Get Food in PVD? • Nine large-chain supermarkets • Supermarkets accept food stamps/EBT, WIC. • At least 14 large-chain fast food restaurants • Skyrockets to 43 if we include Dunkin’ Donuts. • Nine Farmer’s Markets • Five of these markets started within last two years. • All nine accept food stamps/EBT. • Three of the markets accept WIC FMNP vouchers. • Seven accept SFMNP vouchers. • Countless convenience stores

22. USDA Distribution Programs • Food Stamps • Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) • Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) • Senior Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) • School Meal Program • Summer Food Service Program • Food Assistance for Disaster Relief • Child and Adult Care Food Program

23. What’s WIC? • Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) • Created by USDA in 1974 • Not an entitlement program • Eligible families have incomes at or below 185% of U.S. Poverty Income Guidelines • Individuals participating in WIC has increased in RI each year • 22,780 individuals participated in RI WIC in FY2004

24. Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program:Re-thinking Food Assistance • Dual Purpose: • Provide food assistance to a nutritionally “at-risk” population • Support Farmer’s Markets and local farmers • All women, infants, and children enrolled in WIC program are eligible • In Providence, 66% of eligible WIC population is receiving WIC benefits • Only 40% of WIC vouchers redeemed (2002) • Receive $20 voucher to be used at approved Farmer’s Markets • Unfortunately, Bush keeps cutting spending for FMNP. • $25 million in 2003: $20 million in 2005

25. Benefits of FMNP • WIC approved food packages do not include fresh fruits or vegetables (except carrots) • FMNP provides this missing element • National Farmer’s Market Association Survey 2000: • 71% of WIC recipients report eating more fruits and vegetables because of FMNP • 80% say they will eat more fruits and vegetables year round after participating in FMNP • Bridges the gap between environmental and food security movements

28. Potential Barriers to Increased Access for Low-Income Individuals • Price • Belief that supermarket will be cheaper • Location: • Are farmer’s markets placed near/in low-income areas? • Familiarity: • Food movement seen as upper/middle class privilege. • Are low-income individuals familiar with farmer’s markets? • Do eligible individuals know about WIC/FMNP/SFMNP?

29. Based on prices on two visits to Hope High Farmer’s Market, one visit to Monday Market, and two visits to Stop&Shop.

30. Farmers Markets in Providence

31. Fast Food Restaurants in Providence

32. SuperMarkets in Providence

34. Community Food Project Grants • USDA offers many competitive grants for CFS initiatives • Example: Urban Edge Farm in Cranston, RI • Started with 3-year $220,000 competitive grant • Drawback: • Grant writing is a difficult process • Requires educated grant writers • What about farmers who just want to farm?

35. Phew…Conclusions? • Federal government endorses global food system over local food system • Subsidies to RI are not as perverse US ag subsidies on the whole • RI understands the link between agriculture and conservation • Local food systems still seen as a “special interest” and not a serious part of federal agriculture policy

36. More Conclusions • Local food systems capable of addressing environmental and social concerns at the same time. • Production and distribution viewed as separate entities, not as interconnected parts of the same system. • “Environmental” focus on farms too often ignores environmental effects of distribution

37. Recommendations • Keep cutting back commodity subsidies • Use these funds to support a more socially-responsible food system • EWG suggests shifting all subsidy funds to conservation measures. • Environmentalists must re-define conservation • More dialogue must emerge over food system • Can we connect environmentalism to other movements? • Conservation subsidies for small farmers producing for local market • Off-set development pressures

38. More Recommendations • Stop cutting funding to the FMNP • This program is nothing less than revolutionary • Increase public outreach and advertising for Farmer’s Markets, FMNP, and SFMNP • Ads on RIPTA • Need a Farmer’s Market in Olneyville/Silver Lake/Hartford neighborhoods. • Get every Providence Farmer’s Market approved for FMNP and SFMNP by next season.

39. Farmers Markets in Providence

40. Thanks and Praises - Caroline Karp for never letting me rest on my beliefs - All the farmers of RI - The good people of EWG - Dad and Mary - Everyone in CES • My roommates over the past year: BP, Rachel, Goetsch-er, Becca - The Men (you know who you are) -All my friends here today and those who couldn’t make it

41. Kittens!!!!!