the role of policy in statewide f2s programs
DESCRIPTION
Mary Kathryn Poole, Public Health Consultant. Tulane PRC. 2014TRANSCRIPT
Prevention Research Center at Tulane University
Mary Kathryn Poole, MPH
The Role of Policy in Statewide Farm to School Programs
Photo Courtesy of Greauxing Healthy Baton Rouge Tulane PRC Stock Photo
Presentation to the East Baton Rouge Farm to School Stakeholder Council Thursday, June 26, 2014
Presentation Outline
Farm to School Background
The Need for Farm to
School in Louisiana
SCR 94
Next Steps for Louisiana
What is a statewide Farm to School (F2S) program?
A structured system that increases the use of locally
grown fruits, vegetables and other food products in
school meals and educates students about the
origins of their food
Housed within the state
department of agriculture
and/or education
Farm to School Background
Benefits to Schools:
Increases the use of local foods in school meals
May save money on seasonal items and the costs of
transportation and fuel
Educates students on agriculture and nutrition
Benefits to Farmers:
Increases profits from food sales
Boosts local economy (one study found that every
$1 spent on local food returned a total of $1.86
into the local economy)
Farm to School Background
(McAleese et al. 2007; Joshi et al. 2008; Izumi et al. 2010; Benson et al. 2012; Kane et al. 2011)
36 states have proposed or enacted legislation to
establish or encourage statewide F2S programs.
States with F2S legislation are more likely to have
both:
F2S programs
Increased availability of
fresh fruits and vegetables
in school meals
Farm to School Background
(Schneider 2012; Nicholson et al. 2014)
Examples of state F2S policy areas:
Project initiation and implementation
Budget appropriation for programs, staff and grants
Asset maps and databases of local farmers
Local preference or additional school meal
reimbursements
Pilots and trainings
Events and campaigns
Farm to School Background
(National Farm to School Network 2014)
Examples of state F2S policies:
Florida CS/SB 140 (2010)
established the Florida Farm Fresh
Schools Program to create policies
that promote the use of in local
food in school meals.
Oregon HB 2800 (2011)
established the Oregon Farm to
School and Garden Program and
provided for grants to reimburse schools that
participate in certain F2S activities.
Farm to School Background
Youth consume a large portion of their daily calories
at school. School meals should be healthy and
provide adequate servings of fresh fruits and
vegetables.
Student health status and behaviors in LA:
Almost 40% of LA youth (ages 10-17) are
overweight or obese.
81% of LA high school students eat vegetables less
than two times per day and 76% consume fruit less
than two times per day.
The Need for F2S in Louisiana
(Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative 2011; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2011)
More than 3,800 school districts across the nation are
leading F2S activities.
Only 16 out of LA’s 70 school
districts reported F2S activities
for the 2011-2012 school year.
It is estimated that these 16
school districts spent only 15% of their combined total
school food budget on local food purchases.
The Need for F2S in Louisiana
(U.S. Department of Agriculture 2013)
Barriers Identified from Interviews
Barriers for Schools:
Lack of equipment to prepare local, unprocessed foods
Shortage of staff on site everyday to assist with local
food procurement and communicate with food
providers
Barriers for Farms:
Expensive agricultural certifications and insurance
coverage
Limited certified processing sites for certain items
Lack of uniform regulations (e.g., packaging and price
per portion) for sales to schools
SCR 94 (2014)
Proposed by Senator David R. Heitmeier (D)
Directs the LA Department of Education (LDOE) and
Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) to
implement the following:
A statewide F2S program
A study group to address
existing barriers to F2S
A report must be submitted
to the legislature by February 1, 2015.
Photo Courtesy of Greauxing Healthy Baton Rouge
SCR 94 (2014)
Role of the Prevention Research Center (PRC) at
Tulane University:
Used the America’s Health Rankings to identify the
indicators that contribute to LA’s rank
Conducted policy research on strategies to prevent
obesity, smoking and diet-related disease
Provided information on the benefits of F2S and
other strategies to stakeholders, policymakers and
the greater community
Next Steps for Louisiana
Continue to explore F2S policy options, highlighting
best practices from existing programs and other states
Facilitate discussions and partnerships
between schools, farmers, researchers and
policymakers
Assess the economic and health benefits of F2S in LA
References
Benson, M. & Lott, M. (2012) Strengthening Farm to School Programs: A Policy Brief for
State & Local Legislators. Community Food Security Coalition. Retrieved from
http://wvhub.org/sites/default/files/CFSC_brief_FarmSchool_d3.pdf
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2011). Youth Risk Behavior Survey.
Retrieved from http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/youthonline/App/Results.aspx?LID=LA
Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative. (2011). National survey of
children’s health. Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health. Retrieved from
http://www.childhealthdata.org/
Izumi, B.T., Alaimo, K., & Hamm, M.W. (2010). Farm-to-school programs: perspectives of
school food service professionals. Journal of Nutrition Education Behavior, 42, 83-91.
Joshi, A., Azuma, A.M., & Feenstra, G. (2008). Do farm-to-school programs make a
difference? Findings and future research needs. Journal of Hunger and Environmental
Nutrition, 3, 229-246.
Kane, D., Kruse, S., Ratcliffe, M.M., Sobell, S.A., & Tessman, N. (2011). The Impact of
Seven Cents. Retrieved from http://www.ecotrust.org/media/7-Cents-
Report_FINAL_110630.pdf
References
McAleese, J. D. & Rankin, L. L. (2007). Garden-based nutrition education affects
fruit and vegetable consumption in sixth-grade adolescents. Journal of the American
Dietetic Association, 107, 662-665.
National Farm to School Network. (2014). State Farm to School Legislative Survey:
2002-2013. Retrieved from
http://www.farmtoschool.org/Resources/State_Farm_to_School_Legislative_Survey
_4_2014.pdf
Nicholson, L., Turner, L., Schneider, L., Chriqui, J., & Chaloupka, F. (2014). State
farm-to-school laws influence the availability of fruits and vegetables in school
lunches at US public elementary schools. Journal of School Health, 84(5), 310-316.
Schneider, L. (2012). Are farm-to-school programs more common in states with
farm-to-school-related laws? Journal of School Health, 82(5), 210.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). (2013). Louisiana. Farm to School Census. Retrieved from http://www.fns.usda.gov/farmtoschool/census#/state/la
Acknowledgments
People
Principal Investigator: Diego Rose, PhD, MPH
Other Contributing Investigators: Adrienne Mundorf,
MPH and Naomi Englar
Funding
CDC, Prevention Research Centers Cooperative
agreement #U48-DP-001948