RECIPES FOR POLICY CHANGE

Spring/Summer 2015

A R E S O U R C E K I T F O R P R O M O T I N G F O O D S E C U R I T Y T H R O U G H P O L I C Y C H A N G E I N A L B E R TA

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Contents

Why was this resource kit developed? 2

Alberta Food Matters and Growing Food Security in Alberta 2

Acknowledgements 2

Introduction to food security 3

Moving upstream: The food security continuum 6

Getting started with public policy advocacy 8

Mobilizing for public policy change 11

GFSA Policy Working Group case study: Advocating for a Universal School Food Strategy 16

List of food system actors and advocates 21

References 23

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Recipes for Policy Change

A R E S O U R C E K I T F O R P R O M O T I N G F O O D S E C U R I T Y T H R O U G H P O L I C Y C H A N G E I N A L B E R TA

Why was this resource kit developed?

This resource kit is a result of an advocacy project initiated by the Growing Food Security in Alberta

(GFSA) policy working group in 2012, which resulted in the beginning of a campaign calling for the

development of a Universal School Food Strategy for Alberta.

This resource kit outlines key concepts, resources and tools that the GFSA Policy Working Group came

across over the course of our advocacy journey. The resource kit aims to assist communities and groups

across the province in advocating for policy change to promote food security in Alberta.

The GFSA policy working group does not consider itself an expert in public policy advocacy – we are still

learning as we go. Nevertheless, by sharing information and lessons learned, we hope that this

resource kit helps encourage others to engage in public policy advocacy with the goal of creating

communities that have increased access to healthy and sustainably produced food.

Alberta Food Matters and Growing Food Security in Alberta

Growing Food Security in Alberta (GFSA) is a network operating under the Alberta non-profit

organization, Alberta Food Matters (AFM). AFM aims to work with individuals across the province to

foster leadership, relationships and actions that reconnect people, land and food in Alberta.

Alberta Food Matters facilitates community development and skill building by offering education

projects, programs and workshops in addition to evidence-based approaches, research and policy

development. Through its work, AFM and GFSA engage with over 900 individuals and groups across

Alberta. In 2011, GFSA created a policy-working group to raise awareness and advocate for policies that

promote food security for all Albertans.

Acknowledgements

This resource kit was made possible thanks to the support of a number of individuals. Thank you to

everyone who contributed to its development. In addition, we would like to thank the Alberta Policy

Coalition for Chronic Disease Prevention for providing guidance and work space for volunteers in the

early stages of the resource kit’s development.

To suggest a resource for this toolkit, please email us at info@foodsecurityalberta.org.

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INTRODUCTION TO FOOD SECURITY Food is a necessary ingredient for life. According to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the

United Nations, food security exists “when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access

to sufficient safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active

and healthy life” (1, p. 1). Food security is a broad topic, which can be understood in different ways and

at different levels (2, 3). Below, we’ve highlighted key terms that have informed GFSA’s thinking around

food security.

Food Security - A Few Key Terms

Household Food Insecurity

Household food insecurity is defined by Health Canada as:

THE INABILITY TO ACQUIRE OR CONSUME AN ADEQUATE DIET QUALITY OR SUFFICIENT QUANTITY OF FOOD IN SOCIALLY

ACCEPTABLE WAYS, OR THE UNCERTAINTY THAT ONE WILL BE ABLE TO DO SO (4).

Household food insecurity is associated with a household’s inability to access food due to financial

constraints and is linked to negative health outcomes, such as inadequate nutrition, heart disease,

diabetes, high blood pressure, allergies and poor mental health (4, 5).

Community Food Security

Community food security extends the concept of food security beyond individuals and households to

the level of community. According to Hamm and Bellows (6), community food security is said to exist:

WHEN ALL COMMUNITY RESIDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO ENOUGH HEALTHY, SAFE FOOD THROUGH A SUSTAINABLE FOOD

SYSTEM THAT MAXIMIZES COMMUNITY SELF-RELIANCE, AND SOCIAL JUSTICE (6, P. 37).

Community food security emphasizes the development of food systems that are sustainable, encourage

self-reliance and enable everyone to access healthy, affordable and quality food (7). While a strength of

a community food security approach lies in its ability to engage a diverse range of food system actors,

this diversity can sometimes lead to difficulty creating a shared vision for food system change (8).

Tied to the concept of community food security are the Five A’s. As outlined by the Ryerson Centre for

Food Studies, the Five A’s include:

Availability- sufficient food for all people at all times.

Accessibility- physical and economic access to food for all at all times.

Adequacy- access to food that is nutritious and safe, and produced in environmentally

sustainable ways.

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Acceptability- access to culturally acceptable food, which is produced and obtained in

ways that do not compromise people's dignity, self-respect or human right.

Agency- the policies and processes that enable the achievement of food security.

Reproduced from: Centre for Studies in Food Security, The 5 A’s of Food Security, Ryerson University.

Available here: http://www.ryerson.ca/foodsecurity/our-approach.html

Food Sovereignty

Food sovereignty emphasizes food system self-determination and an individual’s right to food (9). As

outlined by Food Secure Canada, food sovereignty is defined as:

THE RIGHT OF PEOPLES TO HEALTHY AND CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE FOOD PRODUCED THROUGH ECOLOGICALLY SOUND

AND SUSTAINABLE METHODS, AND THEIR RIGHT TO DEFINE THEIR OWN FOOD AND AGRICULTURE SYSTEM (9).

Food sovereignty is built on seven main pillars. These pillars include: focuses on food for people, builds

knowledge and skills, works with nature, values food providers, localizes food systems, puts control

locally, and food is sacred (9).

Food Literacy

Another important concept related to food security is food literacy, which emphasizes the range of

tools individuals and communities need to maintain a healthy lifelong relationship with food (10). The

concept of food literacy is composed of a variety of inter-related knowledge, skills, and behaviours that

are needed to plan, manage, select, prepare, and eat food to meet daily food and to determine intake

(10). In thinking about food literacy, scholar Jennifer Sumner invites individuals to look at the big

picture:

FOOD LITERACY IS THE ABILITY TO “READ THE WORLD” IN TERMS OF FOOD, THEREBY RECREATING IT AND REMAKING

OURSELVES. IT INVOLVES A FULL-CYCLE UNDERSTANDING OF FOOD—WHERE IT IS GROWN, HOW IT IS PRODUCED, WHO

BENEFITS AND WHO LOSES WHEN IT IS PURCHASED, WHO CAN ACCESS IT (AND WHO CAN’T), AND WHERE IT GOES WHEN

WE ARE FINISHED WITH IT. IT INCLUDES AN APPRECIATION OF THE CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE OF FOOD, THE CAPACITY TO

PREPARE HEALTHY MEALS AND MAKE HEALTHY DECISIONS, AND THE RECOGNITION OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL,

ECONOMIC, CULTURAL, AND POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS OF THOSE DECISIONS (11, P. 86 ).

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Resources

To learn more about food security and related concepts, please see the resources below.

Research to Identify Policy Options to Reduce Food Insecurity (PROOF) http://nutritionalsciences.lamp.utoronto.ca/

Individual and Household Food Insecurity, Dietitians of Canada http://www.dietitians.ca/Dietitians-Views/Food-Security/Individual-and-Household-Food-

Insecurity.aspx

Community Food Security, Dietitians of Canada http://www.dietitians.ca/Dietitians-Views/Food-Security/Community-Food-Security.aspx

Food Security Evidence Reviews, British Columbia Ministry of Health http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/DownloadAsset?assetId=F074A96E3B5A47E28842BE5F6B3B9CDE&filename=food-security-evidence-review.pdf

Resetting the Table and Discussion Papers of the People’s Food Policy, Food Secure Canada http://foodsecurecanada.org/resettingthetable

What is Food Sovereignty, Food Secure Canada

http://foodsecurecanada.org/who-we-are/what-food-sovereignty

What’s to Eat? Improving Food Literacy in Canada, Conference Board of Canada http://www.conferenceboard.ca/e-library/abstract.aspx?did=5727

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MOVING UPSTREAM: THE FOOD SECURITY CONTINUUM Strategies for promoting food security can be organized along a continuum from short-term to long-

term activities (7). This section describes the food security continuum and highlights public policy

change as one strategy that can help promote long-term solutions to food security issues.

The Food Security Continuum

The food security continuum represents a scale of activities, which range from the short-term to the

long-term. This continuum has been described by the Dietitians of Canada:

Stage One - Initial Food System Change: Strategies create small but significant changes

to existing food systems and provide immediate and temporary relief to hunger and food

issues (e.g. food banks, soup kitchens).

Stage Two – Food systems in Transition: Strategies build capacity through greater

involvement from those experiencing food insecurity and by strengthening current food

systems through partnerships and networks (e.g. community kitchens, community

gardens, food-buying clubs).

Stage Three – Food systems Redesign for Sustainability: Strategies are broader in scope,

requiring long-term commitment from representatives of the entire food system (e.g.

reducing socio-economic disparities, developing national/provincial food policy that

harmonizes agriculture and public health goals).

Reproduced from: Slater J. Community food security: position of the Dietitians of Canada. Dietitians of

Canada; 2007, p. 5. Available here: http://www.dietitians.ca/Dietitians-Views/Food-Security/Community-

Food-Security.aspx

Promoting Long-Term Solutions to Food Security through Policy Change

Traditionally, food security initiatives in Canada tended to focus on community-based strategies, such

as food banks and meal and snack programs, aimed at providing temporary relief to hunger (12, 13). In

the last several decades, however, community and policy-level initiatives like community gardens and

food policy councils have emerged with a wide range of food security goals, such as addressing hunger,

promoting healthy eating, and building more sustainable food systems (7, 14, 15). While these

strategies make important contributions to the health and wellbeing of Albertans, there is a continued

need for broader and more integrated public policy action to promote long-term solutions to food

security (2, 16-19). Engaging in public policy advocacy is one strategy that public health and community

stakeholders can use to facilitate this action (15, 20, 21).

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Resources

Advocacy and Policy Change, Food Action Research Centre (FoodArc) http://foodarc.ca/our-approach-food-security/advocacy-policy-change/

Community Food Security, Dietitians of Canada

http://www.dietitians.ca/Dietitians-Views/Food-Security/Community-Food-Security.aspx Upstream: Institute for a Healthy Society

http://www.thinkupstream.net/ Research to Identify Policy Options to Reduce Food Insecurity(PROOF)

http://nutritionalsciences.lamp.utoronto.ca/

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GETTING STARTED WITH PUBLIC POLICY ADVOCACY Engaging in public policy change efforts may appear daunting at first. However, with strategic planning,

responsiveness and determination, it is more than possible to have an impact on public policy (22). This

section outlines key definitions and resources to help get you started down the path of public policy

advocacy.

What Are Public Policies?

Policy can be defined in many ways. One way policy has been defined is as “a guiding principle or a plan

of action agreed to by a group of people with the power to carry it out and enforce it” (23, p. 1).

Examples of policies include personal policies, family policies, institutional policies and public policies

(24). In particular, Milio (1998) defines public policy as:

A GUIDE TO GOVERNMENT ACTION AT ANY JURISDICTIONAL LEVEL TO ALTER WHAT WOULD OTHERWISE OCCUR (25,

P.15).

All levels of government - Municipal, Provincial, Federal - create public policies (24).

The Process of Making Public Policy

The process of making public policy is complex. Despite this, basic steps can be discerned in the public

policy making process (26). These steps comprise a policy cycle, which describes how an issue moves

from its initial inception to implementation, evaluation and a new agenda (26). General steps in the

cycle include:

Reproduced from: The Association of Faculties of Medicine Canada, the Policy Cycle. Available here:

http://phprimer.afmc.ca/Part3PracticeImprovingHealth/Chapter14Decision-

makingPoliciesAndEthicsInHealthCareAndPublicHealth/Thepolicycycle

Agenda Setting

Policy Formulation

Decision-Making

Policy Implementation

Policy Evaluation

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Food Security and Public Policy

Food security issues are relevant to a number of different policy fields, such as social policy and food policy. Social policy tends to focus on dimensions of government activity that typically fall under the welfare state, such as public education, health-care, publically subsided housing, and income support. Food policy, in turn, focuses on how food is produced, processed, distributed, purchased, protected and disposed (8, 27). Ultimately, how you choose to conceptualize food security will influence which policy area you focus on. As the Dietitians of Canada outline, an analysis of household food insecurity tends to lead to a focus on social policy, such as poverty reduction, while an analysis of community food security leads to food policy (8).

Public Policy Advocacy

Engaging in public policy advocacy is a key strategy that individuals can use to raise awareness about an

issue, increase public acceptance for policy solutions to that issue, and help move issues through the

public policy process (28). Advocacy can be thought of as “a catch-all word for the set of skills used to

create a shift in public opinion and to mobilize the necessary resources and forces to support an issue,

policy or constituency”(28, p. 421).

When engaging in public policy advocacy, it is important to recognize the difference between an

advocacy campaign and an education campaign. While education and information campaigns tend to

highlight the need for individuals to change their health behaviours, advocacy campaigns emphasize

the need to change the wider social and physical environments that give rise to individual behaviours

(29). For example, instead of educating an individual on how to make healthy food choices on a limited

budget, an advocacy campaign would focus on raising minimal wages to ensure everyone can afford to

buy healthy food.

Resources

Advocacy and Policy Change, Food Action Research Centre (FoodArc) http://foodarc.ca/our-approach-food-security/advocacy-policy-change/

Be H.I.P.P, YMCA Canada with the Assistance of Human Resources Development Canada

http://www.ymca.ca/media/59241/be_hipp_manual.pdf Thought about Food? A Workbook on Food Security and Influencing Policy. Food Security Projects

of the Nova Scotia Nutrition Council and the Atlantic Health Promotion Research Centre, Dalhousie University June 2005. http://www.foodthoughtful.ca/

National Collaborating Center on Healthy Public Policy

http://www.ncchpp.ca/en/

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Research to Identify Policy Options to Reduce Food Insecurity (PROOF)

http://nutritionalsciences.lamp.utoronto.ca/

The Citizen's Guide to the Alberta Legislature Legislative Assembly of Alberta http://www.assembly.ab.ca/pub/gdbook/citizensguide.pdf

The Policy Cycle, The Association of Faculties of Medicine Canada

http://phprimer.afmc.ca/Part3-PracticeImprovingHealth/Chapter14Decision-makingPoliciesAndEthicsInHealthCareAndPublicHealth/Thepolicycycle

What is Food Policy?, The Vancouver Food Policy Council

http://www.vancouverfoodpolicycouncil.ca/what-is-food-policy/

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MOBILIZING FOR PUBLIC POLICY CHANGE There is no set way to engage in public policy advocacy. In line with GFSA’s community building

principles, GFSA has adopted a participatory approach, which emphasizes collaboration and community

engagement. In this section, we outline some general steps to help inform your advocacy efforts and

resources to help guide the development of an advocacy project.

Steps for Policy Advocates

Many different strategies and processes have been developed to help guide advocacy efforts. One

advocacy framework that may prove useful is Themba-Nixon’s seven stages in the development of a

public policy initiative (30). Operating through a participatory lens, this framework emphasizes

stakeholder engagement, community mobilization and provides a clear set of advocacy steps useful for

new advocates.

Table 1: Themba-Nixon’s Seven Steps in the Development of a Policy Initiative

Unless otherwise cited, this table represents a summary of information from pages 137-156 of: Themba-Nixon M. The power of local communities to foster policy. In: Cohen L, Chavez V, Chehimi S, editors. Prevention is Primary: Strategies for Community Well-being. San Fransisco Jossey-Bass; 2010. p. 137-56.

Stage Descrip tion

Testing the

Waters

Define the specific problem or set of problems to be addressed through policy change. Alternatively, the policy focus may emerge through a vision advocates have for their community.

Explore suitable solutions and test and screen those approaches for community support, buy-in, and likelihood of success.

Gather relevant information related to the problem, such as assets and barriers to success.

Defining the

Initiative

Take relevant issues and form them into a clear policy initiative. This process will involve understanding the needs of stakeholders and coalition partners, as well as shaping the policy advocacy initiative according to those needs.

Strategy &

Analysis

Analyze information and develop strategy to build public and decision-maker support for the policy initiative. Conduct stakeholder analysis and power mapping to identify targets, decision-makers, allies, opponents and

other key advocators in the campaign.

Direct Issue

Organizing

Guided by strategy and analysis, engage in community mobilization and organizing. Examples of activities at this stage include letter writing campaigns, social media campaigns, media advocacy (letter to the editor, media release), hosting community conversations, presenting to community groups, circulating a petition, circulating endorsement forms, and meeting with policy-makers and decision makers (24).

Steering through

Appropriate

Channels

Meet with policy-makers to begin the process of getting policy enacted. At this stage, it is valuable to understand the political process and the relevant decision-making bodies involved.

Victory &

Defense

Once policy is enacted, media advocacy and framing become important to secure public support for the policy and build support for future initiatives.

Implementation

& Enforcement

Ensure policy is properly implemented and that there are adequate resources for monitoring and enforcement.

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The stages outlined in the framework are not sequential and often overlap (30). For example, groups

often test the waters over the course of an initiative, incorporating new information received and

lessons learned as they go (30).

It is also important to note that the framework was developed for use within an American context. In

GFSA’s experience, it was helpful to supplement these steps with Canadian resources, such as the

“Thought about Food?” Workbook (24) outlined below, and guidance from advocates working in the

Canadian context.

Resources

Toolkits

Advocacy Tool Kit, Public Health Advocacy Institute of Western Australia

http://www.phaiwa.org.au/publications-mainmenu-125/advocacy-toolkit-mainmenu-143

Advocacy Tool Kit, Toronto Youth Food Policy Council

http://tyfpc.ca/whatwedo/advocacytoolkit/

Campaign Tool Kit, Real Food Challenge http://www.realfoodchallenge.org/campaigntoolbox

Community Food Toolkit, Nourishing Ontario, Sustainable Local Food Systems Research Group, University of Guelph http://www.uoguelph.ca/omafra_partnership/ktt/en/localfoodhub/ToolkitLanding.asp

The Policy Readiness Tool, School of Public Health, University of Alberta http://policyreadinesstool.com/

Thought About Food? A Workbook on Food Security and Influencing Policy, Food Security Projects of the Nova Scotia Nutrition Council and the Atlantic Health Promotion Research Centre, Dalhousie University http://partcfood.msvu.ca/final%20workbook%20July%2030,%202005.pdf

Toolkit to Healthier Communities: Influencing Healthy Public Policies, Ontario Chronic Disease

Prevention Alliance http://www.ocdpa.on.ca/sites/default/files/publications/OCDPAHCToolkit_Final_ENG.pdf

Participatory Advocacy Processes and Community Mobilization for Advocacy

Coalition Building, Alberta Health Services http://www.albertahealthservices.ca/2702.asp

Group Building and Leadership, RESULTS and RESULTS Educational Fund

http://www.results.org/skills_center/group_building_and_leadership/

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Local Government Participatory Practices Manual, Federation of Canadian Municipalities https://www.fcm.ca/Documents/tools/International/Local_Government_Participatory_Practices_Manual_EN.pdf

Six Stages of Nonviolent Campaigns (p. 5), The Ruckus Society

http://stopogm.net/sites/stopogm.net/files/StrategicHandouts.pdf National Collaborating Centre for Healthy Public Policy (NCCHPP)

http://www.ncchpp.ca/en/

Promoting Healthy Public Policy through Community-Based Participatory Research: Ten Case Studies, University of California, Berkeley, School of Public Health and PolicyLink http://depts.washington.edu/ccph/pdf_files/CBPR_final.pdf

Participatory Research and Knowledge for Advocacy, Community-based Research Canada

http://communityresearchcanada.ca/resources?&PHPSESSID=b2b77e4c7ca6888b48bb1149a6760d7f

Themba-Nixon, M. The power of local communities to foster policy. In: Cohen L, Chavez V, Chehimi

S, editors. Prevention is Primary: Strategies for Community Well-being. San Fransisco Jossey-Bass; 2010. p. 137-56.

Themba-Nixon, M., Minkler, M., & Freudenberg, N. (2008). The role of CBPR in policy advocacy. In

M. Minkler & N. Wallerstein (Eds.), Community-based participatory research for health (pp. 344-360). San Francisco: John Wiley & Sons.

Thought About Food? A Workbook on Food Security and Influencing Policy, Food Security Projects

of the Nova Scotia Nutrition Council and the Atlantic Health Promotion Research Centre, Dalhousie University http://partcfood.msvu.ca/final%20workbook%20July%2030,%202005.pdf

Strategic Planning and Action

A Social Justice Lens: A Teaching Resource Guide, BC Teachers' Federation's Committee for Action on Social Justice (BCTF CASJ) http://www.bctf.ca/uploadedFiles/Public/SocialJustice/Publications/SJLens.pdf

Cultivating the Web: High Tech Tools for the Sustainable Food Movement, Eat Well Guide

http://www.eatwellguide.org/downloads/pubs/080811_CultivatingTheWeb.pdf Evaluating Social Justice Advocacy, Center for Evaluation Innovation

http://www.evaluationinnovation.org/sites/default/files/Klugman%20Brief.pdf

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Health Promotion through an Equity Lens, Wellesley Institute http://www.wellesleyinstitute.com/publications/health-promotion-through-an-equity-lens/

Midwest Academy Strategy Chart, Midwest Academy http://www.tcsg.org/sfelp/toolkit/MidwestAcademy_01.pdf

Chapman S. Reflections on a 38-year career in public health advocacy: 10 pieces of advice to early

career researchers and advocates. Public Health Res Pract. 2015;25(2):e2521514 http://www.phrp.com.au/issues/march-2015-volume-25-issue-2/reflections-on-a-38-year-career-in-public-health-advocacy-10-pieces-of-advice-to-early-career-researchers-and-advocates/#.VRibb1GQJ8R.twitter

Resources - Berkley Media Studies Group, Berkley Media Study Group

http://www.bmsg.org/resources

Power Mapping, Step by Step, Democracy for America Campaign Academy Grassroots Campaign Training Manual 2009 https://www.fels.upenn.edu/sites/www.fels.upenn.edu/files/influence-power_map_how-tos.pdf

The Activist Toolkit - Developing the Skills to Become a Trained Citizen Advocate, RESULTS and

RESULTS Educational Fund http://www.results.org/skills_center/activist_toolkit/

The Health Communicator's Social Media Toolkit, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

http://www.cdc.gov/socialmedia/tools/guidelines/pdf/socialmediatoolkit_bm.pdf The Tactic Star: For Planning and Evaluating Tactics , Beyond the Choir

http://www.beyondthechoir.org/upload/downloads/tacticstar.pdf

Valuing Different Ways of Knowing, Food Action Research Centre (FoodArc) http://foodarc.ca/our-approach-food-security/ways-of-knowing/

Writing Effective Public Policy Papers, Local Government and Public Service Reform Initiative

http://www.icpolicyadvocacy.org/sites/icpa/files/downloads/writing_effective_public_policy_papers_young_quinn.pdf

Hosting an Advocacy Workshop

Policy 101- Community Action Workshop, Ecology Action Centre, Adventures in Local Food Blog https://adventuresinlocalfood.wordpress.com/2014/05/27/policy-101-community-action-workshop/

Thought About Food? A Workbook on Food Security and Influencing Policy, Food Security Projects

of the Nova Scotia Nutrition Council and the Atlantic Health Promotion Research Centre, Dalhousie University

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http://partcfood.msvu.ca/final%20workbook%20July%2030,%202005.pdf

General Advocacy Resources

Advocacy and Policy Development: An HPC Resource List, Health Promotion Clearinghouse http://hpclearinghouse.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/AdvocacyPolicyDevelopment.pdf

Community Tool Box: Organizing for Effective Advocacy

http://ctb.ku.edu/en Leadership in Public Health: A Guide to Advocacy for Public Health Associations, Canadian Public

Health Association http://www.cpha.ca/uploads/progs/_/sopha/advocacy-booklet-colour-en-final.pdf

The Art of Advocacy, The Canadian Community Economic Development Network

http://www.habitat.ca/files/4752180162832249.pdf The Activist Toolkit - Developing the Skills to Become a Trained Citizen Advocate, RESULTS and

RESULTS Educational Fund http://www.results.org/skills_center/activist_toolkit/

Vancouver Coastal Health Population Health: Advocacy Guideline and Resources, Vancouver Coastal

Health (VCH) https://www.vch.ca/media/Population-Health_Advocacy-Guideline-and-Resources.pdf

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GFSA POLICY-WORKING GROUP CASE STUDY: ADVOCATING FOR A UNIVERSAL SCHOOL FOOD STRATEGY “IF WE DON’T ADVOCATE AND STAND UP FOR WHAT WE WANT TO SEE, AND IF WE DON’T HAVE THE CONVERSATIONS OR

PUSH FOR IT, WE WON’T SEE ANYTHING CHANGE OR BE DIFFERENT” ~PROJECT PARTICIPANT

From November 2012 to July 2013, the GFSA policy-working group engaged in a participatory advocacy

project to promote food security in Alberta. The advocacy project involved three phases: (1) an initial

workshop to begin the identification of our advocacy focus, (2) one-hour monthly meetings to develop

the advocacy project and (3) a final in-person workshop to summarize project outcomes and develop a

plan for sustainability. As part of these three phases, the working group engaged in a process of issue

identification and refining our policy focus, research and information gathering, strategy and analysis,

and moving towards action. During group meetings, members often shared personal updates related to

food security and engaged in capacity building activities, such as sharing resources and listening to

presentations from policy advocates.

The nine month advocacy process resulted in the beginning stages of a public policy advocacy

campaign calling on the provincial government to develop a Universal School Food Strategy, which

emerged out of the group’s vision of a province that recognized the real value of real food. Key

components of the proposed strategy include government support for healthy meals and snacks

sourced by local producers, student involvement in the cultivation and preparation of food, education

on the food system, relationships with local producers and the development of local food procurement

policies.

Advocacy outcomes achieved during the official project include the creation of a position paper and key

messages, online engagement and meetings with key stakeholders to collect feedback and raise

awareness. Since the end of the official project, the working group has continued to move towards the

goal of a Universal School Food Strategy. Examples of recent activities include engaging in further

strategy and analysis, presenting to community groups, writing letters to the editor, and involving

university community service-learning students in advocacy activities.

Since December 2013, GFSA has also been working with the Alberta Policy Coalition for Chronic Disease

Prevention and other partners to conduct a scan of the school food environment in Alberta with the

goal of identifying existing gaps and strengths related to school food programming and policies in

Alberta.

Lessons Learned and Recommendations

Over the course of the advocacy project, a set of recommendations were derived to help inform the

group’s future advocacy efforts. These recommendations apply to the experience of the policy working

group and, as such, may not be generalizable to other settings. With that said, consideration of these

recommendations may help to inform the activities of other groups working to promote food security

across Canada.

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Engaging in Public Policy Advocacy

The following recommendations apply to engagement in public policy advocacy to promote food

security.

Food security issues are complex and do not have cure-all solutions. Along these lines, it may be beneficial to collaborate with a range of diverse actors, including poverty reduction coalitions, to support comprehensive approaches to food security, including action to address the root causes of income-related food insecurity (12).

Critically reflect on the tensions and complexities inherent in advocacy work to promote food security. Charles Levkoe’s framework for a transformative food politics, which focuses on three key elements—the transition to collective subjectivities, a whole systems food approach, and the politics of reflective localization—may provide a useful resource for facilitating critical thinking in this area (31).

As food security is influenced by dynamics at multiple scales, consider supporting advocacy efforts at different levels of government, including the municipal, provincial and federal level (32).

“IT’S NOT ALWAYS EASY, BECAUSE THERE ARE ONLY SO MANY THINGS YOU CAN DO…IT’S A REALLY HUGE TOPIC.”

~PROJECT PARTICIPANT

Apply frameworks to help integrate different forms of knowledge into participatory advocacy projects. One example is Toba Bryant’s (33) framework for public policy development, which has been applied by the Participatory Food Costing Project in Nova Scotia (34).

Consider the role of power in public policy advocacy (32). For example, it may be beneficial to engage in strategic power analysis in the form of power mapping to help identify stakeholders with the power to create policy change. As the name suggests, power mapping is an activity that can be used by policy advocates to map out allies, opponents, and individuals who have decision making power, as well as help to create an action plan to focus advocacy efforts (35-38).

“I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT TO GET THE PEOPLE’S VOICE AND THE PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY IN THE TRENCHES, BUT THEN IT

NEEDS TO GO A STEP UP.” ~PROJECT PARTICIPANT

Provide opportunities and sufficient time within projects for group learning and capacity building. For example, presentations from public policy advocates and opportunities to engage with individuals who have advocacy experience may help to facilitate advocacy learning within the group. Compiling relevant resources into a participant binder may also be beneficial (37).

Explore strategies for effective advocacy. Examples of such strategies include watching for open policy windows (39), employing media advocacy (40), working with opinion leaders and advocacy champions (41), and celebrating small wins (42).

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Consider ‘outside’ perspectives when formulating and refining the group’s advocacy position and

engage broadly to raise awareness and generate support for your public policy goal (30, 43).

“YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO TALK A LANGUAGE THAT DOESN’T PUT PEOPLE OFF…BUT ALSO THAT STAYS TRUE TO

WHAT…YOU WANT AND WHAT YOU’VE BEEN AND WHAT YOU’RE STANDING FOR.” ~PROJECT PARTICIPANT

Recognize that public policy advocacy requires continued effort over the long-term. Celebrate small wins, such as the publication of a letter to the editor, and be prepared to take the long-term view (22, 42).

Internal Group Process

The following recommendations apply to internal group process. This relates to how a group of

individuals are coming together to develop and implement a public policy advocacy project.

Devote time to the cultivation of a positive and open space where individuals feel comfortable contributing their perspectives and ideas. In terms of creating a positive and open space, lessons that emerged from the policy working group’s experience include the importance of prioritizing relationship building, providing multiple opportunities for members of the group to contribute and planning occasions to engage face-to-face. The group’s experience engaging in the advocacy project also highlighted the importance of considering different communication styles and ways of knowing, as well as establishing project timelines that allow for thorough engagement.

“THE ATMOSPHERE IS FRIENDLY AND OPEN, AND NOT JUDGMENTAL, IT’S GOOD…YOU KNOW, THAT PEOPLE FEEL FREE

TO GIVE THEIR OPINION.” ~PROJECT PARTICIPANT

Align project activities with the different knowledge, skills, and expertise present within the group

and provide opportunities and enough time for project members to build their knowledge and skills in areas of interest, such as research and writing (44).

Provide opportunities for meaningful participation, but recognize that participants often have many competing priorities. While it is important to try to maximize participation within the group, it is also important to acknowledge the need for flexibility in participation.

Set timelines for projects that allow for thorough collaboration at all stages. It is also important to devote time to meeting organization, such as sending out meeting reminders and meeting agendas with ample time to review prior to the meeting and meeting reminders (35, 45).

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General

These recommendations apply generally to engagement in public policy advocacy to promote food

security.

Explore strategic areas to focus advocacy efforts that have the potential to establish common ground and bring together diverse priorities around food security (46). For the policy working group, for instance, school food became a site of common ground. At the same time, it is important to consider underlying tensions related to the achievement of common ground and a common vision, such as which voices may be left out of this process (47).

“IF WE COME FROM DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS, IT’S HARD TO NARROW IT DOWN, BUT IT SEEMS THAT…WE’VE COME TO

THAT POINT….WE’RE TALKING ABOUT THE VALUE OF FOOD, WHICH WE CAN ALL RELATE TO, AND THEN THERE’S MANY

CATEGORIES UNDER THE VALUE OF FOOD, BUT….THE SCHOOL SEEMS TO CATCH ALL THOSE DIFFERENT IDEAS.” ~PROJECT

PARTICIPANT

Participatory advocacy projects to promote food security bring with them a level of uncertainty, which can result from a combination of factors (i.e. group dynamics and the broad, complex and dynamic nature of food security and advocacy). To be effective, advocates must learn to tolerate uncertainty and explore strategies for effectively managing, communicating and responding to this uncertainty (48).

Create spaces that facilitate the linking of community members to decision-makers who hold the power to enact policy change. For example, a group could invite decision-makers to a community exhibition (49) or policy forum that focuses on a specific food security issue.

Support the Call for a Universal School Food Strategy

Read the position paper on a Universal School Food Strategy: www.foodsecurityalberta.org/node/61

Sign the endorsement form to show your support for a Universal School Food Strategy: www.foodsecurityalberta.org/node/63

Share your story: What school food programs are in your community and how do they make a difference? Why do you want to improve school food in Alberta? Send stories to info@foodsecurityalberta.org.

Write a letter to your MLA indicating support for healthy school food and a Universal School Food Strategy for Alberta. Find your MLA here: http://www.assembly.ab.ca/net/index.aspx?p=mla_home

Become a member of Alberta Food Matters: http://www.foodsecurityalberta.org/node/88

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Resources

Alberta Coalition for Health School Communities http://www.achsc.org/

A Universal School Food Strategy for Alberta, Position Paper, Alberta Food Matters and Growing Food Security in Alberta http://www.foodsecurityalberta.org/node/61

A Universal School Food Strategy for Alberta, Issue Brief, Alberta Policy Coalition for Chronic Disease Prevention http://abpolicycoalitionforprevention.ca/our-focus/apccp-priorities/healthy-eating-ibs.html

Children’s Nutrition Network http://investinginchildren.on.ca/childrens-nutrition-network/

Coalition for Healthy School Food, Food Secure Canada http://foodsecurecanada.org/resources-news/news-media/raising-bar-school-food-programs

Farm to School Canada http://www.farmtocafeteriacanada.ca/farm-to-school/

School Food Policies Evidence Synthesis, Policy Opportunity Windows Enhancing Research Uptake in Practice (Power Up!) http://abpolicycoalitionforprevention.ca/power-up-/evidencesyntheses.html

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LIST OF FOOD SYSTEM ACTORS AND ADVOCATES This section outlines groups that may be relevant to food system advocacy in Alberta and Canada.

Alberta

Agriculture for Life http://agricultureforlife.ca/

Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development

http://www.agric.gov.ab.ca/app21/rtw/index.jsp

Alberta Coalition for Health School Communities

http://www.achsc.org/ Alberta Farm Fresh Producers Association

http://www.albertafarmfresh.com/default.aspx Alberta Farmers Markers Association

http://www.albertamarkets.com/ Alberta Food Bank Network Association

http://www.afbna.ca/ Alberta Policy Coalition for Chronic Disease Prevention

http://www.apccp.ca/ Explore Local Initiative– Government of Alberta

http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$Department/deptdocs.nsf/All/explore13596 Greater Edmonton Alliance

http://greateredmontonalliance.com/ Eat Alberta

http://www.eatalberta.ca/about-us/ Edmonton Aquaponics Society

http://www.edmontonaquaponics.org/index.html Edmonton Social Planning Council

http://www.edmontonsocialplanning.ca/ Farm On

http://farmon.com/

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Public Interest Alberta http://pialberta.org/

ReThink Red Deer

www.rethinkreddeer.ca\ Sustainable Food Edmonton

http://sustainablefoodedmonton.org/ The Wecan Food Basket Society

http://www.wecanfood.com/

Vibrant Communities Calgary http://www.vibrantcalgary.com/vibrant-initiatives/poverty-reduction-strategy/

Canadian

Dietitians of Canada http://www.dietitians.ca/

Farm to School Canada

http://www.farmtocafeteriacanada.ca/farm-to-school/ Food Matters Manitoba

http://www.foodmattersmanitoba.ca/ Food Secure Canada

http://foodsecurecanada.org/

FoodShare Toronto http://www.foodshare.net/

Sustain Ontario

http://sustainontario.com/ Toronto Food Policy Council

http://tfpc.to/ Vancouver Food Policy Council

http://www.vancouverfoodpolicycouncil.ca/ To add a group or organization to this section, please email us at info@foodsecurityalberta.org

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