University:
Boston University
Course:
QST BA 472 | Business Experiments and Causal Methods
Academic year:

2022
Views:

58

Pages:

17
Author:

paproszekmca5

Developing Local Agricultural with System Mindsets Within a vision for New England food sustainability Regional Context 5% Land that is food producing 90% Food that comes from outside the region 15% People who lack regularly suﬃcient access to food New England Food Vision University of New Hampshire Sustainability Institute, Food Solutions New England .8 on 4 1 illi m The Goal Long term vision ➔ Common progress ➔ Accountability ➔ Forward momentum Adopting the Goal: Farm Fresh RI “We adopted the 50 by 60 framework as an organizational goal to make explicit what we’ve been working on in a less clear manner” Sheri Griﬃn, Director of Communications Farm Fresh RI Where does MA stand? 6.9*mill ion Food producing farmland ● 1.1% increase in farmland since 20121 Access ● The cost of a meal in MA is the most expensive in the US2 Regional reliance ● Massachusetts Food Policy Council (FPC) since 2015 ○ 1 2 MA Local Food Action Plan UMass Amherst The Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment Greater Boston Food Bank/ Feeding America Common Barriers to Effective Programs Fragmentation Management Skills Public Presence Root Cause Analysis What are we seeing on the surface? How do we address the problem? What is the root cause? Sustaining the Vision 1 Relationship Building Results Results 1 Lisa Fernandes, Food Solutions New England Director of Communication VS Process Process “Fragmentation weakens our collective ability to move institutions towards a coherent vision about our food future” New Entry Sustainable Farming Project Mission: improve local and regional food systems by training the next generation of farmers to produce food that is sustainable, nutritious, and culturally appropriate Addresses underdeveloped management skills Connecting agricultural administrators to educational trainings and resources Taking it Further Systems Thinking ● Designated staﬀ member to running programs and thinking on a national scale Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture Mission: build the local food economy by strengthening farms and engaging the community Addresses fragmentation and system thinking Connects smaller systems to one another while thinking ahead How CISA Engages with Policy Access to legislators and legal expertise ● ● “a small piece of anyone’s job” Agriculture Day at the State House ○ ○ Big commitment All day aﬀair Claire Moreno, CISA Communications Manager Waltham Fields Community Farms Mission: encourage healthy relationships between people, their food supply, and the land from which it grows Addresses public presence and knowledge Connecting communities to their food and food education Waltham Struggles with University Institution Previous Waltham UMass Field Station property to be sold by UMass Amherst Reﬂection on University Reliance ● ● ● Limitations ○ Restricted staﬀ ○ Perception of being too far removed from practical work Beneﬁts ○ Wider resources & network ○ Experts Occurrence ○ New Entry Sustainable Farming Project ○ Food Solutions New England ○ Waltham Fields A happy ending What Makes Successful Programs Systems Thinking Policy Engagement Education Focus Some Avenues to Progress ● Absorption of farm sponsored educational programs into school curriculums ○ ● More frequent conferences to increase access to legislators ○ ● ● Take pressure oﬀ individual farms Provide stipends & lessen time commitment State sponsored training for new entry Farmers ○ Through dept of workforce development ○ How to turn proﬁts while maintaining charitable missions ○ Wean oﬀ grant reliance Adopting tangible institutional sustainability goals ○ For grander institutional impact (hospitals, prisons, schools)