1. Making the Grade:
Using Report Cards
to Assess the Food
System
Presenters
• Susan Ellsworth, University of
California, Davis
• Gail Feenstra, University of California,
Davis
• Susan Roberts, Roberts Law Firm, PLC
& Iowa Food Systems Council
• Angie Tagtow, Environmental Nutrition
Solutions & Iowa Food Systems Council
Food Policy Neighborhood Nation Conference
Portland, Oregon, May 20, 2011

2. Overview
S San Diego County (local) and Iowa (state) Food System Assessments
S Processes
S Indicators
S Recommendations
S Lessons Learned
S Challenges and Opportunities
S Next Steps
S Q&A
Food Policy Neighborhood Nation Conference
Portland, Oregon, May 20, 2011

3. Discussion
ü Who is doing or considering
food system assessments?
ü What are your expectations
of this session?
Food Policy Neighborhood Nation Conference
Portland, Oregon, May 20, 2011

4. The San Diego Process:
Developing an Assessment
S What is a food system assessment?
S Why do it?
S How do you hope to use this assessment?
S Who is going to be a part of the process?
Food Policy Neighborhood Nation Conference
Portland, Oregon, May 20, 2011

5. The San Diego Process:
Unpacking the Assessment
S Components – major areas of
interest
S Quantitative information:
S Indicators
S Qualitative information:
S Interviews
S Surveys
S Focus groups
Food Policy Neighborhood Nation Conference
Portland, Oregon, May 20, 2011

6. The San Diego Process:
Identifying Goals
S What food systems issues do S Key Points
you care about? These are the S Goals are written clearly
GOALS
S Consistent level of detail
S Brainstormed
S Reflect key areas of concern/
S Organized, clustered interest
S Outcome oriented, specific, S Agree on goals before moving
measureable to next step (indicators)
S Reviewed, edited according
to feedback
Food Policy Neighborhood Nation Conference
Portland, Oregon, May 20, 2011

7. The San Diego Process:
Assessment Vision & Goals
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Food Policy Neighborhood Nation Conference
Portland, Oregon, May 20, 2011

8. The Iowa Process:
Simultaneous Activities
Food
Strategic
Governance System
Planning
Assessment
Food Policy Neighborhood Nation Conference
Portland, Oregon, May 20, 2011

9. Iowa Food Policy Council
2000-2006
• Public policy agenda
• Partnerships Iowa has a just and diverse food
• Communication system which supports healthier
• Development people, communities, economies and
• Membership & Marketing the environment.
10/08
2/11 5/09
“Cultivating Resilience: A
Food Systems Blueprint • Assessment
that Advances the Health • Policy
of Iowans, Farms and • Communication
Communities” Iowa Food System
Stakeholder Strategic
Launch of Iowa Food
Systems Council! Planning Process
10/10 March 2011 5/09
To recommend policy,
research and program
options for an Iowa food
system which supports
healthier Iowans,
communities, economies
and the environment.
4/10 10/09
10/09
• Valid and measurable
• Reliable and credible source
• Food Access & Health
• Timely, consistent and establish
• Environment
trends
• Economic
• Publicly available
• Fair Food & Farming
• Transparent
• Outreach & Education
• State and county levels
• Support domains and goals

10. The Iowa Process:
Food System Matrix
S Food System Sectors
S Production
S Transformation,
S Distribution/Retail,
S Access/Consumption/Health
S Waste Management
S Domains
S Food Access & Health
S Economic
S Environment
S Fair Food & Farming
Food Policy Neighborhood Nation Conference
Portland, Oregon, May 20, 2011

11. Participatory Considerations
San Diego Iowa
S Value of “ownership” S Participatory, democratic,
transparent, inclusive
S Value of coalition/group identity
S Workgroup approach
S Roles
S Face-to-face and phone calls
S Determine interest/ability to S Grant directed leading to convener
review, provide feedback decisions
S Deadlines and reminders S Parallel establishment of the IFSC
Food Policy Neighborhood Nation Conference
Portland, Oregon, May 20, 2011

12. Identifying Indicators
San Diego Iowa
S Initial brainstorm S Workgroups
S Determine data availability S Specific criteria
S Lack of availability =
revisions to list S Deliberation
S Determine time horizon, data S Manageable
quality requirements
S Extensive literature review
S Audience
Food Policy Neighborhood Nation Conference
Portland, Oregon, May 20, 2011

13. Indicator Criteria
San Diego Iowa
S Need for primary data collection? S Valid and measurable
S Time, resources S Reliable and credible source
S Timely and collected and reported
S Determine report length and time consistently to establish trends
to complete
S Publicly available, transparent and
S This will inform the # of understandable
indicators
S Available at the state level (county
S Ensure all participants feel level also preferred)
indicators are sufficient S Support goal statements
Food Policy Neighborhood Nation Conference
Portland, Oregon, May 20, 2011

14. Data Collection
San Diego Iowa
S Create a system S Database
S Excel, folders etc.
S Master matrix
S Make notes about your data
S Where you found it
S Citations
S Why you chose it S Source
S Any data issues S Date
S Formulas used
S Consult experts to help with
interpretation S Report card concept
Food Policy Neighborhood Nation Conference
Portland, Oregon, May 20, 2011

15. San Diego Indicator Example
Food Policy Neighborhood Nation Conference
Portland, Oregon, May 20, 2011

16. Agriculture industry for Iowa supported with a BOS
minimum of five percent allocation of Iowa IDALS
Department of Economic Development funds. IDED
Iowa Indicator Example
1c. Assess, develop and adopt an Iowa Agriculture ! IDALS Economic
and Farm Worker Job Creation Tax Credit for IDED Social
small and mid-sized diversified farms that hire IFSC
one or more new workers. ISU Ag
economists
IWD
Legislature
T ABLE 3. M ARKET V ALUE OF F RUITS & V EGETABLES AS A P ERCENT OF T OTAL V ALUE OF
I OWA A GRICULTURE P RODUCTS
1997 2002 2007
Total market value of all fruits and vegetables in $3,602,000 $23,987,000 $23,681,000
Iowa*
Total value of agriculture products sold in Iowa $12,162,165,000 $12,273,634,000 $20,418,096,000
Market value of fruits and vegetables as a percent 0.030% 0.195% 0.116%
of total agriculture products in Iowa
* Includes the market value of vegetables, melons, potatoes, sweet potatoes, fruits, tree nuts and berries
Sources: USDA 2007 Census of Agriculture, State of Iowa Profile.
http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/Online_Highlights/County_Profiles/Iowa/index.asp; USDA 2002 Census of Agriculture, State of Iowa
Profile. http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2002/Volume_1,_Chapter_2_US_State_Level/st99_2_002_002.pdf.
Food Policy Neighborhood Nation Conference
CULTIVATING RESILIENCE: A IOWA FOOD SYSTEM BLUEPRINT THAT ADVANCES THE HEALTH OF IOWANS, FARMS AND COMMUNITIESMay25 2011
Portland, Oregon, 20,

17. Food Domain1
System Food Access &
Sector Economic Environment Fair Food & Farming Health
Average Iowa Water Percent of
Market value of fruits
Quality Index " acres of
Production
and vegetables as a
Iowa Food System
percent of total value
! agriculture land !
Estimated average in Iowa
of Iowa agriculture
products annual sheet and rill producing fruits
erosion on Iowa ! and vegetables
cropland
Report Card
Incidence of
Percent of fruit and
nonfatal worker
vegetable canning,
injuries/ illnesses
pickling and drying
! !
Transformation
facilities of total food in animal
slaughtering and
manufacturers in processing in
Iowa Iowa
Number of poultry
processing facilities
in Iowa with less !
than 20 employees
Number of
Dollar value of Iowa
farmers’
agricultural products ! "
Distribution,
markets per
Marketing
sold to Iowans for
& Retail
100,000 Iowans
human consumption
Number of
Healthy Food
Retailers per !
100,000 Iowans
Consumption
Percent of Iowa
Percent of Iowa
Access &
households with
Value of SNAP EBT adults who are
low and very low " "
purchases at Iowa
farmers’ markets
" food security
overweight and
obese
(hunger)
Management
Percent total food
waste per Iowa
Waste
statewide municipal "
solid waste
composition

18. Composite Rating of the Health
of Iowa’s Food System
Very Poor Poor Fair Good Excellent
S Five indicators had ‘healthy’ trend
S Nine indicators had ‘unhealthy’ trend
Food Policy Neighborhood Nation Conference
Portland, Oregon, May 20, 2011

19. The San Diego Process:
Recommendations
S To include or not to
include?
S How do recommendations
relate to policy priorities?
S The San Diego Action Plan
S Challenges of a
simultaneous process
http://sandiegofoodsystem.com/
Food Policy Neighborhood Nation Conference
Portland, Oregon, May 20, 2011

20. The San Diego Process:
“Opportunities”
“These trends suggest several opportunities:
S Maintain or increase venues, particularly for low-income
communities, to obtain healthful foods through market and
emergency sources. Leverage public and private partnerships.
S Both advertising and education can influence consumption of
healthful foods. Policies limiting access to unhealthful foods (sodas
in school) can be very effective in limiting consumption. Programs
and policies to increase information and change eating behavior
should be encouraged.”
Food Policy Neighborhood Nation Conference
Portland, Oregon, May 20, 2011

21. The Iowa Process:
Recommendations
S 3 cross-cutting recommendations to build food
system infrastructure
S 28 program, policy and research recommendations
directly linked to indicators
S State and local implementation
S Partners
S Identified impacts
S Economic, environment, health, social
Food Policy Neighborhood Nation Conference
Portland, Oregon, May 20, 2011

22. Iowa Recommendation
Production Sector Recommendations Series #1
! Indicator 1. Market value of fruits and vegetables as a percent of total value of
Iowa agriculture products (Table 3)
Domain Recommendations State Local Partners Impacts
1a. Assess, develop and adopt diverse financing ! ! Banking Economic
Example
initiatives for small and mid-size fruit and associations Health
vegetable producers in Iowa for economic BOS
development and improved health. For example: IDALS
• Property tax abatements; IDED
• Short-term financial assistance; IFSC
• Loan guarantee programs; ISU Ag
• Tax credits based on hours of labor; and economists
• Cooperative purchasing and marketing Legislature
agreements. RC&D
Economic
Tax experts
1b. Incorporate small and mid-sized food production ! Banking Economic
and processing as a targeted Value Added associations
Agriculture industry for Iowa supported with a BOS
minimum of five percent allocation of Iowa IDALS
Department of Economic Development funds. IDED
1c. Assess, develop and adopt an Iowa Agriculture ! IDALS Economic
and Farm Worker Job Creation Tax Credit for IDED Social
small and mid-sized diversified farms that hire IFSC
one or more new workers. ISU Ag
economists
IWD
Legislature
T ABLE 3. M ARKET V ALUE OF F RUITS & V EGETABLES AS A P ERCENT OF T OTAL V ALUE OF
I OWA A GRICULTURE P RODUCTS
1997 2002 2007

23. The Iowa Process:
Recommendations
S Focus on health and
resilience
S Research, program and
policy recommendations
S Presented to the Iowa
Food Systems Council for
implementation
S IFSC accepted the report
on March 25, 2011
www.IowaFoodSystemsCouncil.org/cultivating-resilience
Food Policy Neighborhood Nation Conference
Portland, Oregon, May 20, 2011

24. Lessons Learned
San Diego Iowa
S Allow plenty of time S Process
S Challenge to get stakeholders to the
S Ensure consensus on assessment goal table
S Stakeholder agendas
S Don’t get carried away with indicators S Allow time for participatory process
S Remember audience S Organization and communication
S Funding is essential
S Get expert feedback on data
S Report
S Make easy and attractive to read S “Competition” with other food and
farm reports
S Executive summary S Ownership and implementation
Food Policy Neighborhood Nation Conference
Portland, Oregon, May 20, 2011

25. Next Steps
San Diego Iowa
S Inform next iteration of Action S Share with food system
stakeholders; local and state
Plan policymakers; state agencies
S Galvanize Urban Rural Round- S IFSC develop action plans for
Table process recommendations
S Encourage replication at county
S Inform development of food level
system alliance
S Update report card and progress on
S Leveraged at the local level recommendations in 2-3 years
Food Policy Neighborhood Nation Conference
Portland, Oregon, May 20, 2011

26. Thank You!
San Diego
http://sandiegofoodsystem.com/
Gail Feenstra - gwfeenstra@ucdavis.edu
Susan Ellsworth - sellsworth@ucdavis.edu
Iowa
www.IowaFoodSystemsCouncil.org
Susan Roberts - susan@susan-roberts.net
Angie Tagtow - angie.tagtow@mac.com