Eating Together:
A Food Systems Approach to
Cultivating Health and Wealth in NM
Presented by
Farm to Table,
NM Food and Agriculture Policy Council,
NM School Nutrition Association
September 15, 2008
In a food system
that works, a
community is able
to feed itself.
What is a food system?
Packing
Storage
Outlets:
Grocery Store
Convenience Store
Farmers’ Market
Institution
Buying Club
Restaurant
Farming and
Ranching
Processing
Distribution
Eaters
Eaters
In Our Current Food System….
• NM has the second highest level of food insecurity in the nation.1
• One in six NM children experience hunger on a regular basis.2
• 41% of families served by food banks are working families.3
• According to a PED/DOH survey, only 1 in 6 schoolchildren ate the
recommend 5 servings of fruits/vegetables per day. 21% of children
had not eaten any vegetables in the last week.4
• New Mexicans suffer from high rates of diet-related diseases such
as diabetes and heart disease.
• Many eaters want to eat local, healthy foods
but do not know where to get them.
Eaters
1
USDA, Food Security in the United States, 2007
New Mexico Association of Food Banks, Faces of Hunger in New Mexico, 2005
3 America’s Second Harvest, Hunger in America, 2006
4 NM Department of Health, Public Education Department, and the UNM Prevention
Research Center. “NM Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey (YRRS): 2003 State Report
of Results.”
2
In a food system that
works…
All New Mexicans
have access to
healthy, affordable,
and culturally
appropriate foods
Eaters understand
where their food
comes from and
have relationships
with the people
who grow it.
Outlets
In Our Current Food System….
In-Town
Rural Food Store Food Store
• The same basket of groceries that costs $55
in an urban area, costs $85 in a rural
$55
$85
1
community.
• Rural families drive as far as 70 miles one
way to reach the nearest grocery store.2
• Since 1989, the price of fruits and vegetables
increased 75% while the price of sweeteners
decreased 33%.3
• School food service providers who want to
purchase local fruits and vegetables can’t find
enough supply.
Outlets
• Many small-scale stores lack facilities necessary
to sell fresh produce, meat, and dairy.
Food and Agriculture Policy Council. 2006. Closing NM’s Rural Food Gap.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index
1, 2 NM
3
In a food system that
works…
Food retailers have
the skills and
infrastructure to
provide healthy,
fresh, affordable,
and local foods.
Food outlets provide
employment
opportunities and
economic
development to local
communities.
Packing
Storage
Processing
Distribution
In Our Current Food System….
• Only one full-service distributor has
routes in rural NM.
• Most of our agricultural products go out
of state for processing :
Packing
Storage
– 91% of NM cattle—our second largest
agricultural industry—is sent out of
Processing Distribution
1
state for processing.
• Produce, on average, travels 1,500 miles
and 7 to 14 days to get to our grocery
stores. 2 Wheat in a processed product
NM Agricultural Statistics 2006
travels over 5,000.
http://www.organicconsumers.org/2006/article_711.cfm
1
2
Choate, Mary “A Good Tomato in Winter, Where??”
In a food system that
works…
Processing,
packing, storing,
and distribution
are done locally
and/or are
tailored to meet
local needs.
Food enterprises
provide business
and employment
opportunities for
New Mexicans.
Farming
And
Ranching
In Our Current Food System….
• Agriculture is New Mexico’s 3rd largest industry, contributing
$2.5 billion to the state economy.1
• 97% of NM’s agricultural products leave the state, while the
state imports more than $4 billion in food products.2
•On average, farmers receive only 20% of the final food dollar.3
• Northern NM farmers earned $45 million less from
farm production in 2005 than they had
earned in 1969 (in 2005 dollars).4
Farming
•44% of NM farmers require off-farm income
and
5
to support their families.
Ranching
1
NM Agricultural Statistics, 2006.
Governor’s Climate Change Advisory Group, 2006.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2006.
3 USDA Economic Research Service.
4 US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2005.
5 USDA Agricultural Census, 2006.
2
In a food system that
works…
Farming and
ranching provide
sufficient income
to support families
and communities.
New Mexican
farmers and
ranchers feed New
Mexican people.
Building the
community food system
generates wealth
and health.
How do we build the
community food system?
• Healthy Kids, Healthy Economy
• Food System Infrastructure
• NM Collaboration to End Hunger
• Public Benefits Utilization
• Farmers’ Market Nutrition Programs
Healthy Kids, Healthy Economy
• Goal: Provide the more than 200,000 nutritionally atrisk school children with healthy local foods and
create new markets for NM farmers.
• Mechanism: Invest $4 million in state
funding for schools to purchase fresh
fruits and vegetables, New Mexico grown
when available.
• Successes:
‐ NM invests$85,000 annually in fresh produce
for ABQ’s valley cluster.
‐ NM schools purchased $500,000 from NM
farmers over the ‘07-‘08 school year.
Healthy Kids, Healthy Economy
Challenges and Opportunities
• Child Nutrition Act Reauthorization provides an
opportunity to leverage more federal funds
• Currently, in NM all
funding for school
Federal
$2.57 for each free lunch
reimbursement
$2.17 for each reduced-price lunch
lunches comes from
minus [labor costs]
federal re-imbursement.
minus [materials]
• Currently, state funds
$1.30 for all the food items needed
allocated to other
Leaves schools
to provide a lunch that meets
with…
school programs can not
federal nutrition requirements
be used to help pay for
school lunches.
Healthy Kids, Healthy Economy
Impact on NM food system:
New $4 million
market for
farmers.
Opportunity for new,
locally owned enterprises.
Packing
Storage
Production
(growing food)
Processing
Distribution
Increased
capacity to
provide fresh,
healthy foods.
Children
develop lifelong
healthy eating
habits.
Outlets:
Grocery Store
Convenience Store
Farmers’ Market
Institution
Buying Club
Restaurant
Eaters
Food System Infrastructure
• Goal: Invest in packing, processing, and
distribution infrastructure for local,
fresh-food outlets.
• Mechanisms:
– Invest in infrastructure for and provide technical
assistance to rural and underserved urban store owners.
– Improve fresh food distribution system to rural and
underserved urban communities.
– Expand and modernize kitchen facilities in schools, senior
centers, and other institutions.
– Develop alternative food outlets (e.g. buying clubs,
school-based stores).
Food System Infrastructure
Current work:
– Governor’s Food Gap Task Force
•developing recommendations.
Report by Nov. 30th.
– NM Food and Ag Policy Council
•Closing NM’s Food Gap reports.
– Successful models in other states:
•Pennsylvania, New York, California,
Illinois, et al.
Food System Infrastructure
Impact on NM food system:
Access to
new local
and regional
markets.
New physical
infrastructure; 60%
more of the food dollar
stays in NM.
Packing
Storage
Production
(growing food)
Processing
Distribution
Improved
physical and
technical
capacity; new
profit potential.
Access to
affordable, fresh
foods. Food
system job
opportunities.
Outlets:
Grocery Store
Convenience Store
Farmers’ Market
Institution
Buying Club
Restaurant
Eaters
NM Collaboration to End Hunger
• Goal: To improve New Mexico’s national ranking in food
insecurity from #1 to #5 by positively affecting 35,000 New
Mexicans over the next 3 years.
• Areas of work include:
1. Eliminating childhood hunger in New Mexico
2. Providing adequate food for New Mexico seniors
3. Improving access to food in rural and underserved communities
4. Encouraging full participation in public food assistance programs
5. Creating widespread awareness of hunger in New Mexico
• Representatives from over 40 of state agencies, educational
institutions, and non-profit and philanthropic organizations
have been working to develop and implement these
strategies.
Public Food Programs
• Goal: Expand food budgets for low-income people.
• Mechanism: Work with public food programs to:
– Simplify application and enrollment.
– Improve coordination among state agencies that
administer public food programs.
– Streamline processes by working
with non-profit and private contractors.
– Increase outreach.
– Raise minimum allocations.
– Connect food programs to nutrition
education.
• Successes: Thanks to the State for
the increasing minimum allocation for seniors.
Public Food Programs
Impact on NM food system:
Increased
demand for
fresh
produce.
Coordination among
agencies increases
efficiency in governmentrun storage and
distribution.
Packing
Storage
Production
(growing food)
Processing
Distribution
Federal dollars
brought in
increase
purchasing
power.
Increased food
budgets allow
healthier eating.
Local spending
creates jobs.
Outlets:
Grocery Store
Convenience Store
Farmers’ Market
Institution
Buying Club
Restaurant
Eaters
Farmers’ Market Nutrition Programs
• Goal: Make farm-fresh food accessible to limited income people.
• Mechanism: Use state and federal funding to provide market vouchers
for WIC clients and seniors. Allow EBT purchases at markets.
• Successes:
– $162,000 annual state funding for senior
program.
– $330,000 in annual federal funding for
senior program—NM was one of only 2
states to get new funds.
– Together this funding will provide more
than 20,000 seniors with vouchers each
year.
– 26,000 WIC clients receive over $300,000
in vouchers.
– 10 farmers’ markets currently accept EBT
– Together these programs contribute
$792,000 to the state’s farming economy.
Farmers’ Market Nutrition Programs
Impact on NM food system:
Federal dollars
brought in
increase
purchasing
power.
Increased demand for fresh
produce. Scale of farmers’
markets allow entry of very small
producers into commercial sales.
Packing
Storage
Production
(growing food)
Processing
Distribution
Increased food
budgets allow
healthier eating.
Local spending
creates jobs.
Outlets:
Grocery Store
Convenience Store
Farmers’ Market
Institution
Buying Club
Restaurant
Eaters
If consumers bought 15% of
their food directly from local
farmers, farm income would
increase over $375 million.
For every dollar that
goes to local farmers, at
least $1.80 is re-spent in
the community.
1 All
figures based on analysis by Ken Meter,
economist for the Crossroad Resource Center.
Taken from Food and Farm Economy for N. NM,
2007
Thus, 15% in purchases from
local farmers would generate
$670 million per year in new
community wealth.1
For more information, contact:
Farm to Table and
The New Mexico Food and Agriculture Policy Council
3900 Paseo del Sol
Santa Fe, NM 87507
(505) 473-1004
www.farmtotablenm.org
Thanks to our many partners involved in this work, including:
NM Department of Agriculture
NM Department of Aging and Long-Term Services
NM Human Services Department
Public Education Department
Public Education Department, Rural Revitalization Program
NMSU Cooperative Extension Service
NM Farmers’ Marketing Association
Rio Grande Agricultural Land Trust
Mid-Region Council of Governments
Rocky Mountain Farmers Union
La Montañita Food Cooperative
NM Association of Food Banks
UNM Sustainability Studies Program
UNM Research Service Learning Program
City of Albuquerque, Environmental Health Department
McCune Foundation