Plan Overview

GOALSTRATEGYTAGS
1. Everyone has enough nutritious food at all times1.1. Short term strategy: Increase participation of children and adults eligible for food and nutrition assistance programs through targeted strategies


1.2. Short term strategy: Expand access to nutrition and food assistance programs to adults and children who experience food insecurity, but are ineligible under current policies

1.3. Short term strategy: Expand and maintain initiatives to connect farms to publicly and privately funded food and nutrition assistance programs


1.4. Short term strategy: Engage in collaborative efforts that address the root causes of hunger

Nutrition & Health; Food & Income Assistance (SNAP, WIC, etc.); Food Security; Food Access (consumer); Equity & Justice;


Nutrition & Health; Food Access (consumer); Food & Income Assistance (SNAP, WIC, etc.); Food Security; Advocacy; Legislation; Good Food Governance; Equity & Justice;

Nutrition & Health; Food & Income Assistance (SNAP, WIC, etc.); Food Security; Food Availability (retailers); Equity & Justice; Good/Local Food Economies; Good Food Governance; Public Private Partnerships; Food System Coordination; Agriculture & Food Production; Farm & Producer Business Support


Nutrition & Health; Food Access (consumer); Food & Income Assistance (SNAP, WIC, etc.); Food Security; Food Availability (retailers); Wage Policy, General; Purchasing Power (consumers); Equity & Justice;

2. Everyone can choose and afford culturally appropriate, healthy food
and drinks
2.1. Short term strategy: Incorporate a food systems lens into local and state plans and assessments

2.2. Short term strategy: Provide culturally tailored nutrition education regarding healthy foods and drinks

2.3. Short term strategy: Address barriers and increase support for breastfeeding everywhere, including hospitals, clinics, child care, and worksites

2.4. Short term strategy: Increase culturally appropriate, affordable healthy food and beverage access particularly in underserved areas



Good Food Governance; Food System Plan Implementation; Food System Coordination; Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning; Food Sovereignty

Food Sovereignty; Culture Shift (Good Food Movement); School Curricula; Equity & Justice; Training & Education, General; Nutrition & Health

Food Sovereignty; Culture Shift (Good Food Movement); Workforce Development; Food Security; Equity & Justice; Nutrition & Health; Legislation



Food Sovereignty; Food Security; Food Access (consumer); Equity & Justice; Nutrition & Health; Food Availability (retailers)




3. Food is safe for consumers to eat
3.1. Short term strategy: Strengthen food safety throughout the supply chain

3.2. Short term strategy: Increase consumer education on food safety

Nutrition & Health; Food Safety; Business regulations; Supply Chain Infrastructure;

Nutrition & Health; Food & Nutrition Literacy; Food Safety; Business regulations

4. Dignity, safety and quality of life for all workers in the food system are upheld
4.1. Short term strategy: Increase food system convening and network development to create support for policy, environment and system changes

4.2. Short term strategy: Invest in the health and well-being of food system workers

4.3 Short term strategy: Ensure food system workers’ social equity
Labor/Food Workers; Worker Safety; Good Food Governance; Legislation; Advocacy; Network/Bodies/Council (FPCs); Food System Coordination;

Labor/Food Workers; Worker Safety; Good Food Governance


Labor/Food Workers; Equity & Justice;
GOALSTRATEGYTAGS

5. Soil, air, water and biodiversity are protected and restored for future generations

5.1. Short term strategy: Protect and ensure the quality of Washington’s surface, ground and marine waters
5.2. Short term strategy: Ensure clean air by reducing air pollutants and greenhouse gases generated from the food supply chain
5.3. Short term strategy: Ensure productive soils by reducing pollutants, preventing soil erosion, managing nutrient content, enhancing microbial activity, and increasing organic matter
5.4. Short term strategy: Ensure biodiversity of species by identifying and implementing strategies that support healthy fish populations, wild harvest and productive agricultural land, and by identifying and incentivizing conservation practices that support both crop and habitat diversity


Land & Resource Use; Water use; Oceans and Waterways; Conservation & Land Management; Climate Mitigation
Land & Resource Use; Climate Mitigation; Supply Chain Infrastructure
Land & Resource Use; Sustainable Agriculture; Climate Mitigation; Agriculture & Food Production; Conservation & Land Management
Agriculture & Food Production; Sustainable Agriculture; Land & Resource Use; Oceans and Waterways; Seafood & Fisheries; Climate Mitigation; Conservation & Land Management

6. Land and water are conserved for food production, fishing, hunting and wild harvesting for future generations
6.1. Short term strategy: Ensure water is available in our rivers and streams for fish and for farmers
6.2. Short term strategy: Ensure the conservation and accessibility of land for food production and wild harvesting


Land & Resource Use; Agriculture & Food Production; Sustainable Agriculture; Oceans and Waterways; Seafood & Fisheries; Conservation & Land Management; Climate Mitigation
Land & Resource Use; Sustainable Agriculture; Conservation & Land Management; Land Access; Agriculture & Food Production;

7. Prevent, reduce, reuse, recycle and move toward zero waste throughout the food system.

7.1. Short term strategy: Prevent and reduce edible waste


7.2. Short term strategy: Reuse food waste through strategies such as composting, methane digestion, and animal feed


7.3. Short term strategy: Prevent, reduce, recycle, and reuse food packaging and eliminate non-degradable materials use



Food Waste;


Food Waste; Agriculture & Food Production; Climate Mitigation


Food Waste; Commercial Food Waste


8. The food supply chain incorporates renewable energy, energy efficiency
and energy conservation opportunities into the growing, processing, and
transporting of food

8.1. Short term strategy: Increase energy conservation by identifying and incentivizing efficiencies in the food supply chain
8.2. Short term strategy: Increase the use of alternative fuels and power sources and advanced transportation systems and technologies in the food supply chain
8.3. Short term strategy: Increase clean and renewable energy production and use by advancing appropriate technology changes in food production, processing, packaging, transportation, and consumption


Land & Resource Use; Energy; Supply Chain Infrastructure; Climate Mitigation
Land & Resource Use; Energy; Supply Chain Infrastructure; Climate Mitigation; Food Transport
Agriculture & Food Production; Energy; Climate Mitigation; Supply Chain Infrastructure; Food Processing; Food Transport;

9. The food system minimizes greenhouse gas emissions and adapts practices to mitigate current and future climate change impacts.
9.1. Short term strategy: Provide incentives to reduce fossil fuel consumption throughout the food supply chain

9.2. Short term strategy: Increase “climate friendly” farmed acres through research on best practices and producer education/incentives

9.3. Short term strategy: Strengthen food system resilience through identifying and addressing adaptation challenges and opportunities


Climate Mitigation; Supply Chain Infrastructure; Business Regulations; Good/Local Food Economies

Climate Mitigation; Agriculture & Food Production; Sustainable Agriculture; Training & Education, Agriculture; Good Food Governance; Research & Innovation

Climate Mitigation; Supply Chain Infrastructure; Good Food Governance; Research & Innovation
GOALSTRATEGYTAGS


10. Emerging and existing farming operations are economically viable


10.1. Short term strategy: Advance business resources, technical assistance and financing opportunities for all farmers and ranchers with a priority on beginning, limited-resource, and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers

10.2. Long term strategy: Ensure affordable, fertile land is accessible to all Washington farmers with a priority on beginning, limited-resource, and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers

10.3. Long term strategy: Increase the number of agricultural employment skill development opportunities

Good/Local Food Economies; Equity & Justice; Workforce Development; Agriculture & Food Production; Farm & Producer Business Support; Young, Beginning, and Small (YBS) Farmers; Training & Education, Agriculture

Good/Local Food Economies; Land Access; Agriculture & Food Production; Farm & Producer Business Support; Young, Beginning, and Small (YBS) Farmers; Equity & Justice;

Good/Local Food Economies; Workforce Development; Labor/Food Workers; Training & Education, Agriculture; Agriculture & Food Production; Farm & Producer Business Support


11. Significantly increase in-state and regional demand for Washington
grown food
11.1. Short term strategy: Design coordination, education and distribution strategies that enable schools, senior centers, hospitals, prisons and other centers to procure local food

11.2. Short term strategy: Develop and support connections among institutional buyers, chefs, producers, farmers, processors, food banks and others (e.g. food policy councils, associations, commissions, community-based organizations, etc.)

11.3. Short term strategy: Increase and fund marketing and education campaigns that promote purchasing of Washington grown foods

11.4. Short term strategy: Develop tourism resources that help visitors frequent regional food system destinations


Good Food Governance; Food System Coordination; Good/Local Food Economies; Supply Chain Infrastructure; Food Aggregation & Food Hubs; Food in Public Institutions; Nutrition & Health; Culture Shift (Good Food Movement); Training & Education, General

Good/Local Food Economies; Food in Public Institutions; Nutrition & Health; Food System Coordination; Good Food Governance; Networks/Bodies/Council (FPCs); Supply Chain Infrastructure; Food Aggregation & Food Hubs; Agriculture & Food Production

Good/Local Food Economies; Culture Shift (Good Food Movement); Public Messaging & Marketing; Training & Education, General; Agriculture & Food Production; Good Food Governance; Funding & Investment Strategies

Good/Local Food Economies; Local brand promotion; Small Business Support


12. All scales of production, processing and markets have equitable
access to resources, infrastructure and business assistance to thrive
12.1. Short term strategy: Reach and support historically underserved populations with resources, services and technical assistance

12.2. Short term strategy: Strengthen formal and informal networks across the state to grow living wage jobs in Washington’s agriculture and food industry
12.3. Long term strategy: Prioritize funding for state agencies, academic institutions and other relevant organizations to provide programing and support to all sizes and types of food and farm businesses

12.4. Long term strategy: Expand support from state, academic and food and farm organizations to work with all scales of production, processing, distribution and sales with a priority on regional and local infrastructure
12.5. Long term strategy: Prioritize business development programs for food production, aggregation, processing, distribution and marketing businesses



Supply Chain Infrastructure; Equity & Justice; Culture Shift (Good Food Movement); Training & Education, General; Good/Local Food Economies; Small Business Support

Supply Chain Infrastructure; Labor/Food Workers; Food Worker Wages; Wage Policy, General; Network/Bodies/Council (FPCs); Food System Coordination; Good Food Governance; Good/Local Food Economies
Supply Chain Infrastructure; Culture Shift (Good Food Movement); Workforce Development; Good/Local Food Economies; Good Food Governance; Funding & Investment Strategies; Agriculture & Food Production; Farm & Producer Business Support

Supply Chain Infrastructure; Culture Shift (Good Food Movement); Food Processing; Food Transport; Regional Coordination; Good/Local Food Economies; Good Food Governance; Food System Coordination; Agriculture & Food Production
Supply Chain Infrastructure; Food Processing; Food Transport; Agriculture & Food Production; Farm & Producer Business Support; Good/Local Food Economies;


13. Washington’s food economy, as an industry leader, is innovative,
successful and just


13.1. Short term strategy: Develop, implement and fund a network of active, collaborative economic development partners with experience reaching and serving a broad range of farm and food system companies with business services, resources and financing, with emphasis on small to mid-sized businesses

13.2. Short term strategy: Align funding streams across state agencies, philanthropy and private investment to support market-based strategies that advance the Washington food economy

13.3. Short term strategy: Integrate farm and food system job training and education into all levels of career planning at schools, workforce training centers, and vocational training

13.4. Short term strategy: Conduct a statewide food systems assessment to establish a baseline, evaluate progress and guide future improvement efforts
Good Food Governance; Network/Bodies/Council (FPCs); Public Private Partnerships; Small Business Support; Funding & Investment Strategies; Good/Local Food Economies; Agriculture & Food Production; Farm & Producer Business Support

Good/Local Food Economies; Culture Shift (Good Food Movement); Good Food Governance; Funding & Investment Strategies;

Good/Local Food Economies; Workforce Development; School Curricula; University programs; Entrepreneurship; Training & Education, General

Good/Local Food Economies; Good Food Governance; Food System Coordination; Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning\

Plan Information

CategoryDatabase entry
Plan RegionWashington
Publication Date2017 
Entry reviewed by original authorNo
PDF attachmentView Full Report
Plan TitleA 25 Year Vision for Washington State’s Food System
Webpagehttp://wafoodsystem.weebly.com/food-system-prospectus.html
Author(s)Washington State Food System Roundtable (public-private partnership: http://wafoodsystem.weebly.com/history.html
Author Type Partnership; Government
Region Type State
Funding Sources Non-profit organization/entities; Individual Donors; State Government; Foundations
FundersFood Action (formerly Washington State Food and Farming Network);Food Action (formerly Washington State Food and Farming Network);Tim Crosby, Slow Money NW;Jean Johnson;Pete Miller;Empire Health Foundation;US Department of Agriculture Snap Ed.;and in-kind support from many
Total Project BudgetUnspecified
Plan GoalsThe plan envisions a Washington state food system that (p. 6): 1.  Promotes the health of people;2. Is economically vibrant;3. Fosters a sustainable, resilient environment; and4. Creates a more equitable and just society.
To achieve this vision, the Roundtable outlines four areas (people, environment, economy, and equity) to work towards their goal, where “a just and equitable food system can be secured for all Washingtonians, regardless of gender, age, socioeconomic status, disability, language, culture, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religious beliefs andgeography” (p. 7).
Thirteen overarching goals are divided among three action areas:
People1. Everyone has nutritious food at all times.2. Everyone can choose and afford culturally appropriate, healthy food and drinks.3. Food is safe for consumers to eat4. The dignity, safety and quality of life for all workers in the food system are upheld.
Environment5. Soil, air, water and biodiversity are protected and restored for future generations.6. Land and water are used, accessible, and conserved for food production, fishing, hunting and foraging for future generations.7. Prevent, reduce, reuse, and recycle to move toward zero waste throughout the food chain.8. The food supply chain incorporates renewable energy, energy efficiency and energy conservation opportunities into the growing, processing and transport of food.9. The food system minimizes greenhouse gas emissions and adapts practices to mitigate current and future climate change impacts.
Economy10. Emerging and existing farming operations are economically viable.11. Significantly increase in-state and regional demand for Washington grown food.12. All scales of production, processing and markets have equitable access to resources, infrastructure and business assistance to thrive.13. Washington’s food economy, as an industry leader, is innovative, successful and just.
Intended AudienceFull food system network
Plan Recommendation StructureThis prospectus includes 3 action areas (people, environment, economy). Each action area has 4-5 goals (13 total) (see “Plan goals” above). For each goal, the plan provides strategies and sub-strategies (including short-term and long-term). Additional examples of “tactics” for each goal are provided as Appendix A (p. 29).
Catalyst for PlanThe 25-Year Vision was catalyzed in part by Former Governor Christine Gregoire’s 2010 “Executive Order directing state agencies to examine state food policy, food-related programs and food-related issues” (p. 1). The report, completed in 2012, made a final recommendation to form the Washington Food Policy Roundtable. Then-Governor Gregoire approved the recommendation and tasked the newly-formed Roundtable to “Develop and ensure stewardship of a 25-year vision, including specific goals and actionable strategies” (p. 1).
Creation ProcessThe Washington Food Policy Council was formed with the specific goal of creating and implementing the plan. As such, the Roundtable established a governance structure specifically designed to be representative and democratic of the state’s unique food system (see Appendix B (p. 39) for the Roundtable’s charter and membership structure). 
The development process of the plan “included research by consultants, university faculty and graduate students, and input from a variety of interests through a statewide engagement process” (p. 2). 
Starting in 2015, the Roundtable engaged in an iterative engagement and feedback process. Key community engagement activities are laid out on p. 23-24 of the Prospectus: – From Summer 2015 to Winter 2016, the Roundtable solicited recommended visions, goals, and recommendations from nine local and regional Washington food policy councils and their members. – In Fall 2016, the Roundtable wrote a draft of the plan to begin soliciting broader feedback, which was done via 10 engagement events across the state, an online survey, social media, e-newsletters, and their website.
Theoretical Framework(s) Employed  N/A
Theoretical Framework(s): Additional LiteratureUnspecified
Development Timeline5 years of development, 1 year of of writing
Implementation StrategyThe WA Food Policy Roundtable was not designed to be an implementing body. However, the plan recommends “the creation of a temporary transition team involving a few members of the Roundtable along with non-Roundtable members to lay the groundwork for” implementation (p. 25). 
Additionally, the plan identifies three “Potential Stewardship Roles” and estimates budgets for each of these positions to be filled (p. 26): A Convener of Local and Regional Food Policy Groups; A “Big Picture/Think Tank” role; and an Advocacy role.
Implementation Timeline25 years
Evaluation StrategyUnspecified
International Development Framework(s)None
Current Plan StatusInactive; Update in progress
Government Adoption StatusUnknown
Government Adoption Status (notes)N/A
Supplemental Documents View Supplemental Documents