Equitable Response and Recovery
How communities coordinate food distribution, financial resources, and people power to address the most immediate needs in times of crisis
Equitable Response and Recovery
As discussed in the framework for resilience , the work of supporting vibrant, adaptable, and equitable food systems is an ongoing process. The success of this process includes the ability of communities to leverage existing stakeholder networks and collaborative relationships, in the aftermath of a disaster or disruption. LRFS depend on the contributions (in the form of expertise, resources, effort) of diverse stakeholder groups, working from a foundation of previous collaboration and trust, to support equitable, innovative, and impactful response and recovery efforts. The frameworks, case studies, and resources included in this section reflect the need for ongoing engagement and consideration of the unique assets and vulnerabilities of LRFS in times of disruption. Additionally, this section covers the work required to foster equitable and resilient food systems into the future.
This section includes:
- Centering Equity in LRFS: Case studies from BIPOC-led and equity-focused LRFS initiatives and their distinct approaches to LRFS resilience.
- The Role of LRFS in Emergency Response Systems: A discussion of new paradigms and approaches to engaging LRFS as key partners in supporting emergency response systems as well as short-term emergency feeding efforts and long-term nutrition security initiatives.
- Mobilizing Networks: An overview of the many values of established, ongoing collaborative networks for LRFS, accompanied by a detailed planning tool to help food systems leaders craft, promote, host, and manage calls to connect stakeholder networks when disaster strikes. Supported by strong stakeholder engagement and thoughtful preparation, LRFS disaster response and recovery efforts provide opportunities to implement strategies and leverage networks established prior to a disruption.
- Networks Directory: A directory of sector and stakeholder specific national and regional networks.
Centering Equity in LRFS Response and Recovery
The four case studies mapped below are the testimonies of community leaders who recognized the opportunity to re-shape their community’s food systems in ways that centered the needs of the most vulnerable, while also creating markets for local producers and improving access to healthy foods. From grassroots food pantries providing wrap-around care to highly organized, inter-organizational mutual aid efforts to Native-led, non-profit farming operations building tribal food sovereignty, the efforts of the following case studies align with a shared mission of community food resilience and empowerment.
Equity is central to the resilience of people and markets. Click through the map below to explore case studies of how BIPOC-led organizations focused on centering equity in response and recovery.
Choctaw Fresh Produce
Solidarity Gardens CU
Hearts and Hands Food Pantry
Reclaiming Innovation in Indigenous Food Systems
Choctaw Fresh Produce
Written by: Tomas Delgado, National Farm to School Network
Choctaw Fresh Produce (CFP) is a native-led, organic farming project centrally located in Mississippi's Neshoba County. Since 2012, CFP has challenged food inaccessibility and strengthened food sovereignty for the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians.
From the beginning, CFP has been committed to providing fresh, locally produced food to tribal institutions and businesses, and increasing access to nourishing local foods while providing economic development opportunities for tribal members who face staggering unemployment rates. Tomika Bell, the Local Food Manager for the organization, shared that CFP’s original vision for providing locally grown organic produce for the area’s restaurants, resorts, and casinos, quickly transformed into providing an abundance of produce to markets and programs supporting tribal food security and access.
"Our drive is seeing our community together, eating together, and that alone keeps us going. We are providing food to tribal members, and through our food, we will sustain ourselves and hold our tribal identity" –Tomika
Now, with more than five farms in Neshoba County, CFP has been sustained by dedicated community members who support the operation’s transition to organic certification and expansion into new markets. Staffed by only four employees, CFP grows a range of produce on 5 acres ranging from cool-season crops and leafy summer greens to hearty root vegetables. While they do not focus on any particular agricultural process, CFP does practice organic farming methods, regenerative agriculture, and native agricultural traditions.
“We now provide 10,000 lbs. of produce for more than 11,000 tribal members" – Tomika
CFP’s mission to provide nutrient-dense local produce for their tribal community has been recognized by local and regional media outlets, national nonprofits, and academic institutions including Intertribal Ag Council, the Southern Poverty Law Center, Mississippi State University, Tuskegee University, and First Nations Development Institute. CFP’s approach to growth and expansion has inspired other tribal communities who also want to address food insecurities within their respective areas. From the construction and utilization of earth ovens to the ability to identify local flora for food and medical purposes, efforts led by Tomika and the CFP community have centered on native food resilience.
The common threads through all of CFP’s activity and mission are response, adaptation, and fortification of the Choctaw people’s delicate food system. Before the COVID-19 disruption, CFP addressed exacerbated rates of food inaccessibility, food and agricultural education disparities, and the ongoing threat of losing connection with ancestral foodway practices of the Choctaw people. In the face of these hardships, CFP’s mission has been food sovereignty. CFP remains committed to doing what is best for their land and their community while expanding relationships with tribal and non-tribal farmers. That includes increasing food and agricultural access, community engagement, Choctaw foodway revitalization, strategic partnerships, and believing in the power of storytelling.
The success and resilience of CFP are attributed not only to the hard work and dedication of Tomika and her team, but also to the intentional and strategic partnership network CFP has cultivated. In addition to seeking diverse market channels—selling to schools, hospitals, casinos, grocers, and restaurants—Tomika approaches coalition building with the same careful deliberation. From several share-grant proposals with the Economic Development office for the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians to tribal hospitals, Choctaw Fresh Produce’s operation is sustained by strong cooperation among organizations, both tribally and non-tribally affiliated.
“I want our partnerships to grow and us to learn from other tribes about how they engage with their community" – Tomika
Solidarity Gardens CU
Written by: Tomas Delgado, National Farm to School Network
The Midwest is synonymous with farmland, bountiful harvests, and diverse histories of agricultural practices and innovations, and Urbana, Illinois is no exception. Located in the East Central region of the state, Urbana and its twin city Champaign boast a population of over 127,000 residents. Home to the University of Illinois, the state’s flagship land grant college, the Urbana-Champaign community has a wealth of academic, community, and agricultural resources that benefit the steadily growing community.
Despite the assets of the area, low-income residents in this knowledge-rich community still navigate hardships ranging from housing uncertainty to community violence and food insecurity. Many community leaders and groups continue to address these issues head-on in a variety of ways. One such effort, born out of the alarming rates of food insecurity brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, is Solidarity Gardens CU . Beginning with an idea by Danielle Chynoweth, supervisor for the Cunningham Township Supervisors Office (CTSO), and her team, Solidarity Gardens CU is a coalition of community partnerships and volunteers, that has demonstrated that the soil found in the region can be used to grow an abundance of food for those most in need.
With Cunningham Township serving as the fiscal sponsor and organizational leader, Solidarity Gardens convenes a network of inter-organizational and cross-sectoral participation under the umbrella of community food resilience. The project connects the Cunningham Township, Sola Gratia Farm, Urbana Park District, Channing Murray Foundation, Urbana Free Library, Champaign County Public Health District, Wesley Food Pantry, Eastern Illinois Food Bank, City of Urbana, Champaign Park District, Daily Bread Soup Kitchen, Carle Hospital Mobile Market, the University of Illinois Extension, University of Illinois School of Social Work, and a network of autonomous community gardens.
Each organization serves a role, ranging from gardening, agricultural technical assistance, community volunteer outreach, community education, gardening supplies, and food distribution.
“No one in Champaign-Urbana should ever go hungry. We have this fertile soil, and we can grow our own food. We can grow what we need.” - Danielle
The Solidarity Gardens network (the network) produces food through two efforts: core gardens and affiliate gardens. Core gardens are the agricultural efforts existing on public land and are supported by staff from the network’s respective organizations and volunteers from the public. Depending on the location, core gardens may be accessible to the public for free harvesting, a dedicated garden plot, or a farm tract solely for network donations. Core gardens vary in size but produce most of the network's harvest for donation. Core gardens are also expanding at scale and use practices adopting regenerative and agroforestry systems.
Affiliate gardens are maintained by private residents and landowners committed to donating a portion of their harvest to the network. This could mean excess produce or an entire home garden grown for donation. Affiliate gardens pledge to: (1) Display a Solidarity Gardens sign in their garden; (2) Share information about Solidarity Gardens events and programming with their gardeners and constituents; and (3) Participate in a yearly site visit with a member of the Solidarity Garden network. Affiliate gardeners have access to the gardening tools, supplies, and seeds donated to the network in addition to financial and technical assistance support throughout the year.
Produce from core and affiliate gardens is donated at select sites and distributed through various channels. Some produce is donated directly to Sola Gratia Farms, Champaign Urbana Public Health Department, and the Channing Murray Foundation. Depending on the donation site, produce is channeled to community food access touch points like the Carle Hospital Mobile Market, a converted Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District Bus used for food donations in neighborhoods with food access barriers. Produce is also distributed through food pantries, soup kitchens, and the county’s food bank.
Some donated produce is distributed through the Channing Murray Foundation’s Bucket Brigade , a sister program of Solidarity Gardens. This volunteer-based delivery initiative began during the COVID-19 pandemic to supply immunocompromised community members with household provisions and prepared meals. It has since expanded into an effort that now supplies all residents and households needing food access.
In 2022, affiliate gardeners donated 383 pounds of produce to the network and 137 volunteers supported the work of Solidarity Gardens. Overall, the Solidarity Gardens network produced and donated 2,270 pounds of produce in 2022, with the Bucket Brigade delivering 665 pounds.
“My endgame is a totally different path; one that is pro-human and nourishes and feeds and supports everyone with the abundance that we have been able to cultivate through technology” – Danielle
Although the benefits of the Solidarity Gardens surpassed the expectations of its organizers, the program maintains a low profile that has allowed it to focus on the work. There is a strong ethos of letting the work speak for itself with a recognition that Black-led community agricultural projects in the area have operated without much recognition. Additionally, since Solidarity Gardens was born in response to the pandemic, the efforts have been fueled by the urgency of increased food insecurity and hardship. Despite the intentionally low profile, local media has interviewed representatives from the network, and a faith-based organization has awarded the project with recognition that included a small monetary donation. Since the network dynamic involves many non-profit and governmental institutions, the network's operations are integrated into the roles of the institutional participants, which contributes to Solidarity Garden’s success and impact.
“Community includes all of it. It doesn't just mean grass-root organizations, it doesn't just mean public, government organizations.” - Danielle
Although the high level of participation from institutions is beneficial to Solidarity Gardens in terms of the network's sustainability and production impacts, Danielle cautions that this dynamic doesn't always guarantee buy-in from the community. She explained how institutions, despite being well-intentioned, have a history of approaching new efforts with overdeveloped, extremely goal-oriented programs that are often integrated into a broader strategic plan.
“There is story, and there is substance. One of the best ways to secure community buy-in, although it is slower, is you do the work, you show up, you show results that are substantive and real, and then you tell the story about it. Sometimes people lead with telling the story and showing the vision, and the work is a little bit harder to come by.” - Danielle
This is why the work of institutions should be balanced with an effort to understand who is already doing the work and how institutions can support the historical work of community members. Solidarity Gardens is a coalition made of up of entities that mobilized quickly to address new forms of community hardship. The balance of working with urgency but with intention serves as the foundation of Solidarity Gardens. Danielle encourages community activists and builders of grassroots, mutual aid initiatives to see institutions as community partners, noting that there is often mistrust amongst community members toward entities that appear as political or governmental.
“Attend to relationships. When an initiative fails, there hasn't been enough attention on the building of relationships and trust.” Danielle
The future of Solidarity Gardens is fertile and prosperous. With every pound of food produced, the network attracts more volunteers, recognition, and respect. Solidarity Gardens was born through the seed of mutual aid and quickly grew through institutional collaboration. During this period of growth, it has been essential to protect the network's integrity, its internal dynamics, and its mission. There are ambitions to integrate the network into the Champaign-Urbana Farm to School movement so food can be provided to local schools, and a still more complex vision to create community food forests for the public to forage. The future is boundless, and the work will remain steady.
“Community resilience is defined as the level to which a community can meet its own needs.” Danielle
Hearts and Hands Food Pantry
Written by: Tomas Delgado, National Farm to School Network
Operating out of Huntersville, North Carolina, Hearts and Hands Food Pantry (HHFP) has been stabilizing food access in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area since 2017. Driven by the dedication of HHFP’s President Kenya Joseph and a community of volunteers since then, the organization has provided emergency food and household provision to all in need.
Following a decade-long career in corporate finance, Kenya and her mother set out to start a food drive for folks in need in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area and as far as Virginia. Kenya was inspired to address food insecurity after hearing about a family of extreme coupon-clippers who were supplying a neighboring family with food after a parent of the household lost their job.
Fueled by inspiration, Kenya built a food pantry through a partnership with a local church. Once in operation, demand quickly outweighed the pantry's capacity, prompting Kenya to recalibrate her approach. She decided to close the pantry for two months, using that time to research the needs of the community she sought to serve, develop a strategic mission for the pantry, acquire 501(c)(3) status and find a permanent location for the pantry. During this adaptation phase, Kenya also researched the current service network of food pantries and food drives in the area to understand the local strengths and gaps. This was complemented by a community needs assessment, which allowed Kenya to hear first-hand accounts from community members who had relied on local food pantries and found local pantry resources confusing or difficult to access.
HHFP was reactivated only days before Thanksgiving 2018 and was met with widespread demand for resources. Scheduling service delivery to fill the gaps of other food pantry providers, HHFP provides critical support for families and people experiencing disparities in emergency food access.
“We serve 7500 families...We've had families come from all the way in Virginia, which is like a 5-hour drive” – Kenya
HHFP clients are given choices about what items to take home. In addition to offerings of food, household supplies, infant and toddler items, and pet supplies are also available. With a commitment to providing safe, non-expired, and fresh meat and produce, HHFP embraces a full choice model, allowing client preferences based on dietary or other desired needs. In addition, donations are provided to clients without referral requirements, background checks, or other common documentation processes used by some pantries.
This service delivery approach was utilized for a year until the first lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic forced its closure.
Like the adaptation phase that allowed HHFP to grow from a church program to something more widely scaled, Kenya also had to adjust to providing service to a community now experiencing heavily increased rates of food insecurity due to COVID-19. This group included community members who only weeks before had not required assistance from food pantries or other social services, elevating demand for emergency food access. As a result, HHFP modified its service delivery based on inspiration gained from the pivots made by the local business sector. In one day, Kenya created a scheduling and item selection process through the pantry’s website that would provide clients with the same level of item preference through a safe and efficient online process.
When curbside pickup was established at HHFP, the number of people taking advantage of the services increased, creating traffic congestion and requiring police assistance with traffic management at peak service times. Along with curbside access, HHFP also implemented a volunteer-led home-delivery service that began with Kenya personally delivering donations to the homes of immunocompromised people around the county. Later, a mobile market was introduced to reach county residents living in rural areas and urban food deserts. The mobile market also served many community members who may have been undocumented.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg area, like many communities, experienced heightened poverty and hardship, resulting from the impact of COVID-19. HHFP was now positioned as a vital community asset for folks whose needs went well beyond food. The community also faced a public health crisis of tent cities in downtown Charlotte. Under the constant threat of forced removal by city officials, robust mutual aid networks formed to deliver immediate services to tent city residents, with HHFP playing a crucial role. Kenya was frequently on the ground providing food resources and provisional case management to desperate community members. From assisting tent city residents with finding other housing opportunities to accessing Economic Impact Payments, HHFP became a center of partnerships built from the grassroots of Tent City, Charlotte.
Kenya emphasizes that organizations that provide direct services to underserved populations must approach their work comprehensively and appreciate the interconnectedness of issues. Food insecurity, for instance, is deeply intertwined with housing insecurity. Food access advocates must work to connect the dots of their efforts with service providers addressing other issues like housing, the environment, education, and other issues stemming from broader economic injustices.
"You cannot put yourself out there as a service provider if you are not also an advocate” – Kenya
As it continues to build coalitions with other social justice missions, HHFP, as a mutual aid project, embraces business sector partnerships and values, including centering client satisfaction and convenience, prioritizing efficiency, and embracing technology and innovation. Kenya reports that businesses are willing partners. Partnering with them often avoids dependency on grant reporting and fundraising—efforts that can impede an organization’s autonomy and client-centered approach. Whether securing funding from energy companies for the pantry's cold storage, receiving unrequested donations from a range of local businesses, or getting grant-matching support from local Wells Fargo and Bank of America branches, HHFP has established itself as a nexus powered by innovative partnerships, private sector recognition, and grassroots energy.
“Let’s give people more. Let's make sure that we are always talking to people and finding out what more they need. Let's be on top of helping to refer and connect people. Let's look for partners that are smaller that are really about helping people” – Kenya
Working together to serve each other is an ethos of resilience that Hearts and Hands Food Pantry embodies. A willingness to build dynamic alliances is not merely a best practice but also necessary for enduring the next food disruption crisis and lessening the everyday effects of food insecurity.
“We will not endure another disruption if we don't learn these lessons” – Kenya
Reclaiming Innovation in Indigenous Food Systems
Written by: Josiah Griffin, Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative Carly Hotvedt, J.D., M.P.A., Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative Erin S. Parker, J.D., L.L.M., Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative
Issue: The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated long standing challenges to the economic and public health of tribal communities. In 2020, infection rates among tribal citizens were 3.5 times greater than among non-Hispanic Whites. Associated market disruptions for local and regional food markets resulted in a significant negative impact on producers and their communities. Bottlenecks in livestock and seafood processing presented significant challenges to producers, and closure of farmers markets and other market channels caused negative cascading impacts across indigenous operations.
Innovation: Tribal nations collaborate through coordinating entities, such as the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative (IFAI) to develop policy-based innovations while supporting new programming and sharing best practices. Important areas of work during COVID-19 include targeted efforts to expand livestock processing facilities, coordinating the development of model food and agriculture codes for tribal nations, and reconfiguring food aid and distribution programs for elders and children.
Outcome: Despite generations of dispossession and structural inequalities enacted by European settlers and the US Government, American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) food producers epitomize the resilience critical to both cultural and economic vitality for tribal nations. By centering tribal food sovereignty in policy and program development, indigenous agricultural initiatives work to support reinvestment of economic and cultural wealth in the tribal nation.
Living History of Indigenous Foodways
Cultural practices related to agri-food systems continue to play a meaningful role in the lifeways of many AI/AN people. However, contemporary agricultural and food policy largely reflects the standards and operating practices favored by European settlers. Despite disparities in accessing vital financing, resources, and markets, the number of AI/AN food producers is growing. Between 2012 to 2017, the Census of Agriculture reports that AI/AN farms and ranches increased by 7%, and collectively supported a $3.5 billion industry. Although, tribal communities have faced disproportionately higher rates of COVID-19 spread, the pandemic did not introduce new issues to tribal food systems and food supply chains. However, it did exacerbate existing issues Indian Country already faced. For producers, these impacts largely include lost revenue opportunity as vendors, including processing facilities and distributors, and scaled down operations. These logistical shortcomings are evidenced by decreased food availability or stock-outs in tribal communities.
Leaders from the Intertribal Agriculture Council (IAC) Technical Assistance Program reported that tribal communities and producers were hard hit by the intersecting economic, health, and social crises caused by COVID-19. Combined with generalized market disruptions, high infection rates forced many operations to close, if only partially in some cases. AI/AN ranchers and fishery operators faced extended wait time for accessing meat. Fish processing facilities likewise reported wait times of a year or longer for some locations. While the processing bottleneck impacted all livestock producers during COVID-19, the potential economic impact on AI/IN producers who have small scale operations heavily dependent on livestock sales is significant. An IAC survey on impacts to tribal food systems during COVID-19 found that approximately 52% of producers estimated lost revenue of at least $10,000. For a demographic where 85% of producers’ average sales total less than $25,000 per year, such losses are devastating. Disruptions to livestock and other market channels created a ripple effect throughout tribal agriculture operations. As a result of COVID-19, 36% of tribal producers reported a reduction in their workforce, and 53% reported either partial or full closure of their businesses.
Today, the relocation of tribal nations puts many of these communities in the heart of food deserts, with approximately 75% of all individuals in AI/AN tribal areas living farther than 1 mile from a supermarket. One in four must travel more than 10 miles to these stores. Approximately 80% of tribal leaders surveyed indicated their communities are experiencing limited access to essential staple foods.
Tribal Response to COVID-19: Policy Based Innovation
Because tribal food systems and supply chains are so diverse, many of the early innovative strategies tribal nations and AI/AN producers implemented to address pandemic impacts mirrored similar efforts from non-tribal producers and communities across the country. For example, where feasible, small and mid-range AI/AN farm, ranch, and fish operations turned to direct sales and marketing through online channels like Shopify or Barn2Door, and also increased their social media outreach to potential new customers through Facebook. This move to more online direct sales to consumers is something that was not unique to Indian Country but served as an important stopgap for AI/AN producers who were already seeing limited market channel opportunities because of their rural or remote locations. Likewise, tribal-run farmers markets implemented social distancing and masking requirements to continue operating as safely as possible, and food assistance programs shifted to drive-up service only to facilitate safer service.
Despite these similarities in crisis response to that occurring at the national level, there are certainly innovations in Indian Country’s response to the pandemic that look somewhat different. Most of these are governance and policy-based efforts. As sovereign nations, tribal governments have both the legal authority and ability to respond to crisis situations, both immediately and in the long-term. This includes developing policies and programs that address current conditions along with those that will help prevent future crises from having the same negative impact.
Processing Facility Expansion
Across Indian Country, tribal nations are evaluating current practices and assessing opportunities to address breaks in the food supply chain, through allocation of Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding toward food systems initiatives. While distribution of these funds by the federal government to tribes was initially delayed, tribes are working expeditiously to ensure these funds are utilized in full to provide services for their respective nations and communities. As tribal governments watched supply chain breakdowns, especially for their citizens who raised animals or caught fish and needed access to slaughter facilities or processing facilities, tribal governments began to look immediately at leveraging these CARES funds to support developing tribal-owned facilities. This is not an immediate solution, but once these facilities are operational, it will prevent the catastrophic processing delays that began in 2020.
Cooperation via intertribal networks provides essential support to AI/AN producers struggling to find processing facilities for their livestock and fish. In one notable example, hog producers in the Great Plains were able to access a tribally-owned, USDA inspected slaughter facility in Oklahoma because of intertribal cooperation and communication. This prevented the hogs from being euthanized and allowed the producers to sell their products instead of taking a significant loss. As tribally owned facilities come online in the next few years, this kind of cooperation can be more easily facilitated in times of crisis.
Establishing Food & Agricultural Policy
As tribes expand their operations, they do so in a way that reinforces their food sovereignty, or the ability to feed their communities on their own terms. Establishing an effective governance structure is a key foundational tool to manage operations through oversight and compliance. IFAI makes the Model Tribal Food and Agriculture Code available to tribal nations at no cost, providing a template for tribal governments to modify and adopt to meet their needs. Developing tribal governance structures through food codes supports clarity and consistency in how foods are grown, harvested, processed, and accessed.
As tribal agriculture operations review their market channels, new opportunities are available to facilitate relationships. Last year, the IAC launched the Native Foods Connection program. This program, especially when paired with the “ Made/Produced by American Indian” food certification managed by IAC, elevates tribal food products through three platforms: 1) facilitating accessibility of these food products and services at market; 2) featuring these products at tribal and intertribal conferences; and 3) informing effective branding and market strategies. These platforms empower tribal agriculture enterprises to respond to and identify markets to support greater resiliency across Indian Country food systems. Through these programs tribal farms and producers have been able not only to stabilize their operations, but a few have even been able to grow and expand their businesses.
Additionally, some tribal communities are adopting new distribution programs to support continuing food access for elders and tribal youth, particularly through school closures. USDA partners with 102 Indian Tribal Organizations and 3 state agencies to maintain food access for tribal households through the Food Distribution Program for Indian Reservations (FDPIR). As an alternative to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), FDPIR sites support tribal communities that disproportionately reside in food deserts. Historically, the USDA purchased foods for distribution but a provision in the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 offers new flexibility.
This “638” authority for USDA acknowledges the vital role tribal governments have always played in providing for their citizens and enables Tribes to source food directly for their own FDPIR programs. This opportunity not only opens up additional sources of traditional and culturally appropriate foods for those in need, it also represents a market opportunity for Tribal growers to sell their products to the Tribe. On January 14, 2021, USDA Food and Nutrition Service released the first request for proposals under this authority. Broadly supported by an ongoing working group of tribal leaders, the Tribal organizations administering this program, and the Native Farm Bill Coalition , this pilot will better integrate this program with local and regional tribal food systems. These and other efforts are ongoing. Prospective partners outside Indian Country looking to support, e.g. provide for trainings or finance, tribal agriculture operations should first seek to understand the realities faced by these communities. Requesting input from tribal nations at the outset is the best way for assistance to ultimately be received in a meaningful way.
What Role Does Local Food Play in Emergency Feeding Operations?
While this playbook focuses primarily on local and community-based responses to disaster and disruption, these grassroots efforts can also coordinate and engage with formal emergency response efforts for even greater impact. This video explains emergency response systems at different scales and describes how local and regional food systems interface with federally coordinated disaster response, strategies, and innovations for emergency feeding. Panelists described how different organizations and locations respond to and coordinate around disasters at the federal, state, and local levels. The conversation serves as an introduction to how emergency management systems intersect with local and regional food systems.
Facilitator: Courtney Long, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach
Panelists:
- Christine Heyser, Pennsylvania Department of Human Service
- Traci Mouw, USDA Food and Nutrition Service
- Sommer Sibilly Brown, Virgin Islands Good Food Coalition
- Julia Van Soelen Kim, University of California Cooperative Extension
Post-Disaster Food & Nutrition Security: The Disaster Food Security Framework (DFSF)
Dr. Lauren Clay, University of Maryland Baltimore County
In a post-disaster setting, food security is about much more than whether households have enough money for food. There are disruptions to the environment that create physical, social, and economic barriers to food accessibility; supply chain and nutrition assistance barriers to food availability; gaps in nutritionally, culturally, or medically acceptable foods; and challenges that can limit agency or self-efficacy. The Disaster Food Security Scale (DFSS) is a tool for thinking about food security post-disaster to develop preparedness and response plans and think about recovery. The associated Disaster Food Security Scale is a tool for monitoring food and nutrition security at the household level. The DFSS captures data about the types of food security disruption a household is experiencing. DFSS data is immediately actionable for addressing a broad range of barriers to food and nutrition security and can serve as a sensor for the types of disruption to community food and nutrition security in a disaster context.
FEMA’s Support for Emergency Feeding
Craig Crosby, FEMA Region 3
FEMA supports states and localities in their mass feeding, most often by providing commodities in the immediate response to a disaster. This is usually in the form of shelf-stable meals and bottled water to help stabilize the situation until volunteer organizations can start preparation of fresh meals in the impacted areas. FEMA has large, pre-packaged kits that can be mobilized from one of its Distribution warehouses. The largest kit contains food and water for 120,000 people (63 trailers) for one day. More kits can be requested by the State or pushed by FEMA in response to a large-scale event in increments to feed 60,000 per day, 30,000 per day or 15,000 per day. When volunteer organizations begin mass meal preparation with mobile feeding kitchens, FEMA can coordinate with the USDA to access items from the school lunch inventory. FEMA can also help coordinate between impacted States and the USDA to operate their boxed meal program.
During the response to COVID-19, FEMA’s Public Assistance program was used to provide reimbursement through States to those conducting feeding, including Food Bank distribution and leveraging of closed restaurants to prepare and distribute meals. Impacted States created Memorandum of Understanding with food providers, allowing funds to flow from State Emergency Management Agencies to the given organization or business.
FEMA is an important partner on the State-led Feeding Task Force, primarily by using projection tools to coordinate multiple groups providing meals and to determine what additional feeding is needed based on the number of families impacted.
Mobilizing National, Regional, and Sectoral Networks
Networks of stakeholders that facilitate information and resource exchange across LRFS are key components of equitable resilience. This includes sector-specific networks that focus on their sectors’ needs and opportunities, and multi-sector or multi-stakeholder networks that provide opportunities to develop a big-picture view of what’s happening across the spectrum of LRFS.
The webinar, Going far by going together: Building a network of food system networks features a conversation between leaders from philanthropic, research, and NGO sectors in which they explore the value of network-based learning for LRFS. The discussion provides insight into working with partners across sectors, the role of stakeholders in informing how financial resources are leveraged, and the next frontiers of LRFS resilience for policy, research, and community-based initiatives.
Based on resources shared by partner organizations through the resource hub , it is clear that local and regional multi-sector networks were a vital touch point for communities seeking to share real-time updates on disruption conditions, coordinating response strategies, and resource allocation.
The value of national and regional multi-sector networks was made clear during convenings of 17 national LRFS sector leaders in 2020 and 2021. Reflecting on the value of regular connection and information exchange across LRFS networks, one project partner stated:
Being part of this [network] has helped weave together parts of the food system into a cohesive and collaborative web of stakeholders. Meeting the other COPCOs [community of practice coordinating organizations] during this time of intense transition has helped me view the role of [our sector] more holistically and I now have a greater understanding of where [we] fit in the larger local/regional food system conversation.
A Network of Networks
The project team recognizes the importance of continuing the connections and exchange established through the project and continues to develop and refine the “LRFS Network of Networks.” From 2020-2022, the USDA supported regular convenings of national sector leaders, university researchers, and Agency program leaders to work together to create a community of practice to support LRFS. This section includes an in-depth explanation of the purpose and value of such networks, and a step-by-step guide on how to design and implement a response network in a time of disruption.
Each sub-sector of LRFS has its own distinct operations, challenges, and adaptations. As such, there is great value for local and regional leaders in the sector-specific expertise and connections offered by national and regional networks. To that end, a directory of sector and stakeholder-specific national and regional networks that participated in the LRFS Network of Networks is included. The directory also includes information on how to follow and connect with networks and their work.
Click the link below to explore the LRFS Network Directory.
The Role of Network Response Calls
Fast connection and coordination among people with resources, knowledge, and connections to strategize, share information, and outline resource allocation is essential in times of disruption. Often organized as ad hoc conference calls, emergency convenings of stakeholders across local and regional food systems are critical to effective communication and collaboration between networks and can ultimately result in fast and effective emergency response.
Establishing and maintaining relationships is key to short and long-term food systems resilience. The long-term functionality of network-led emergency response calls includes sharing feedback on programming and other information, and the ability to maintain a dialogue among participants that goes beyond passive updates. During the Covid-19 pandemic, emergency response calls were a natural place to turn for information on local, state, and federal funding. While lack of capacity for regular network engagement is a real concern, there is interest and need in developing stable emergency response networks. To determine what that looks like in action, this section outlines the formation, intention and outcome, and the logistics and coordination necessary for effective network calls.
Formation: Two distinct types of calls emerged in response to disruptions caused by Covid-19 within local and regional food systems (LRFS): (1) Sector and/or stakeholder specific calls (e.g., farmers markets, funders) focused on sector-specific challenges and adaptations; and (2) General community-wide networks at the city and county level. These involved stakeholders from across the city/county including those possibly new to the food systems conversation (e.g., hospitals, food banks, schools).
The formation of these response call networks also fell into two categories. That is, they were either the continuation of an already existing network (both sector-specific and general community-wide networks), or they were new networks established to coordinate immediate COVID-19 response.
When existing organizations and networks were leveraged, regular response calls were generated from existing channels of communication. Some examples of this included ad hoc calls between farmers market managers initially connected through an active listserv, philanthropic networks groups formed from their mailing list, and a county-level food council that brought together members who had previously been engaged in food security calls. After identifying a need for a space to share, learn, and problem solve in real time, new networks can also be further established through select invitations by stakeholders, such as market managers, to individuals who had not previously been involved in network coordination calls. Participation can also rapidly expand by word of mouth.
Intention and Outcome: When analyzing information in the Local and Regional Food Systems Response to Covid Resource Hub, and responses from local and regional food system stakeholders, the project team found that in the immediate aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic organized response calls and network engagement served as beneficial spaces for collaborative and real-time cross sectoral problem solving. The aim of these calls was to serve as a regular space for information gathering and peer-to-peer sharing in a rapidly evolving context. As time went on, and focus shifted from immediate response to longer-term recovery, the network response calls became a place to identify gaps and discuss the efficacy of local and regional food systems interventions. What began as a way to secure new relationships and collaboratively solve problems in a time of crisis, expanded to include discussing strategies for building short and long-term resilience. Common topics discussed during such calls included, but were not limited to, supporting impacted businesses, spending resources, pivoting business models, sourcing, and accessing funding, and operational logistics.
Call Structure: Successful network response calls include community building, trust building, and collaborative problem solving. In the immediate aftermath of a local and regional food systems disruption, there is an urgent need for information and a place to troubleshoot solutions. This can be generated by network participants’ interest in peer-to-peer learning and collaboration which is best facilitated by a call structure where the workload is shared or there is a stable position within an organization that is responsible for the facilitation and leadership of the convenings. Financial support is also necessary for network longevity.
Logistics and Coordination: The organization and administration of network led emergency response calls commonly took one of two forms – that is, there was either a single organizer from a single organization or there was shared/rotating meeting coordination and facilitation between two or more organizations. In both situations, the organizer/convener was responsible for facilitating the meeting, writing and distributing meeting notes and resources, coordinating guest speakers, and inviting and explaining the network call participants. It was noted in the network calls referenced throughout this project, that the shared leadership and managerial structure is a strong model as there is often a lack of capacity in supporting network response calls full time.
Participants: Regarding meeting attendance and participation, there was a mix of private, invitation-only network calls and open to the public (city council style) meetings. The calls open to the public were organized at the city or county level and included representatives from all food assistance and other social service providers. It is important to think about how these cross-sectoral calls, at the city or county level, may have engaged groups that had not previously been involved in the food systems space before the Covid-19 pandemic forced their participation.
Network Response Calls Planning Tool
The planning tool at right and linked below was created to help users prepare for future disruptions. It can also be used early in the emergency recovery process to determine how to connect, what to cover, and with whom. It is designed to help food systems leaders craft, promote, host, and manage calls connecting stakeholder networks during an emergency. This could either be individuals or organizations who are currently convening networks of food systems stakeholders, or in contexts where a new network could help with information sharing and coordination in the wake of a disruption.
By responding to the prompts and questions in the worksheet, users will be able to design valuable and organized network calls to ensure that their response to an emergency is coordinated and consistent. Users will receive a copy of their responses via email to use as a guide and reference for next steps. Responses to this form will not be tracked or followed up on, as the data collected is intended only for community use as a planning tool.
Click at right to use the network call planning tool or use the link below.
Explore Other Sections of the Playbook!
