Food Systems Summit 2024

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  Vermont Everybody Eats FEMA Response to Covid-19

  Priscilla Panyin Abijah

  Food systems must navigate uncertainty as they experience and respond to crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic amplified or magnified several interconnected slow-crises, including hunger, housing, food supply chain vulnerability, and job insecurity. Launched in August 2020, the Vermont Everyone Eats (VEE) was a FEMA-funded, state-wide COVID-19 response program geared at reducing food insecurity to support community resilience. The program provided prepared meals to Vermonters while boosting the local economy by keeping local restaurants and farmers in business at a time of general economic crises associated with the pandemic. While the emergency response financial support FEMA provided was valuable to response and recovery efforts, its funding structure simultaneously created uncertainty for VEE organizers. More research is needed to understand how communities are impacted and respond to these funding uncertainties during times of crisis This poster examines how VEE leaders anticipated and responded to varying degrees of certainty associated with the pandemic and FEMA funding. It also explores how certainty and uncertainty due to FEMA funding, whether positive or negative, extended far beyond just the financial assistance itself to food system, labor, and social sustainability. This research is valuable to policy makers and administrators of food assistance programs to better understand how they can navigate between the certainty and uncertainty associated with their source of funding.

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  The Power of Narratives and Narratives of Power

  Molly Anderson

  Food systems transformation requires changing power dynamics so that people who are currently marginalized or not benefiting are able to have full participation and to enjoy their human rights related to food (the right to food, to a healthy environment, to decent compensation for labor, etc.). One of the ways that food system power is perpetuated is through narratives, or the stories we share about how the world works and how it should work. In this session, Molly Anderson drew on her forthcoming book Food Systems Transformation: Narratives of Power to introduce the dominant narratives that are circulating about food systems transformation and argue for a transformative narrative that rests on agroecology and food sovereignty, equity, ecological integrity and just transitions. Anderson explored the assumptions and theories of change that underly some current narratives justifying business as usual, such as sustainable intensification and technological innovation, and demonstrated that the theory of change and assumptions behind food sovereignty and agroecology are much more plausible if we are seeking real transformation of power dynamics.

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  Addressing Biosecurity Challenges to Mitigate Disease and Maintain Business in New England Milk Plants

  Madeline Beaudry

  The goal of this work was to assess current biosecurity practices and future biosecurity capabilities in commercial milk plants receiving raw milk throughout New England. The United States dairy industry has developed Biosecurity Performance Standards (BPS) to mitigate a Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak. Practices are not based on the New England dairy industry and may be difficult for plants to meet. However, addressing these challenges may mitigate disease spread and maintain continuity of business for the dairy industry. This study was a convenience sampling with interviews and observational tours of six milk plants in New England. Drawing out several BPS practices, results show that biosecurity protocols vary between plants. Pertaining to ability for enhanced cleaning and disinfection, three plants have receiving bays with two-way flow traffic, three plants use a single weight scale for tankers before and after unloading, and all plants have trucks entering and leaving travel on the same road. Three plants routinely have haulers helping receiving area employees with equipment on their own and other tankers, creating possibility for contamination crossover of farms on separate milk routes. Additionally, some face foot traffic challenges with three having employees enter the raw receiving area through the processing area and two with laboratory access that requires travel through processing areas. More research needs to be done in raw milk transportation and handling to determine which biosecurity practices New England milk plants are able to meet and address shortfalls to protect the industry against possible future disease outbreaks.

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  Navigating the Complexities of Crop Breeding for Yield, Human Health, and Food Processing Quality

  Vagner Bendito, Micheal Grusak, Umesh Reddy, and Eric Bishop von Wettberg

  This interdisciplinary discussion explored the social responsibilities of crop breeders, the functional properties of food, and breeding strategies for composition traits (e.g., nutrients) and quality traits (e.g. food processing). Faculty and researchers from West Virginia University, the University of Vermont, and the USDA combined their varied expertise and knowledge to explore sustainable innovations in crop resilience and health properties.

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  Exploring the ‘value ‘of values-based food procurement

  Analena Bruce, Fritz Bottner, Betsy Rosenbluth, and Peter Allison

  This session explored values-based food procurement through research and dialogue on the pivotal role of food hub food access programs prioritizing regional and small producers in shaping and supporting resilient regional food systems. By facilitating essential connections between producers and food-insecure populations, these programs address critical food security challenges. Ranging from profit-driven ventures in densely populated regions to initiatives in rural areas, the diversity of such programs highlights their importance in ensuring equitable access to nutritious food. In collaboration with over 10 food hubs on the East Coast through the Eastern Food Hub Collaborative (EFC), researchers at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) Food Systems Lab sought to gain comprehensive insights into the challenges, opportunities, and barriers within these programs, specifically exploring food access relationships to enhance capacity among farmers and food hubs. Interviews with farmers, food hubs, food banks, and other stakeholders, researchers developed a shared understanding of existing programs, including their impacts, definitions, opportunities, and barriers across the network. Additionally, they analyzed USDA-collected data to assess how these programs enable and support regional food system development across the East Coast. This research contributes to advancing knowledge and practices aimed at building more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable food systems. In this session, actors engaged in these supply chains offered thoughts on the values critical to their clients. The results of surveys on how to express these values through procurement schemes were shared with attendees, followed by a discussion about the financial sustainability of these schemes.

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  Cultivating Climate Resilience through Urban Agriculture

  Kristida Chhour

  Urban agriculture is a growing movement that coproduces food, community, health benefits, and ecosystem services. Stormwater regulation is a frequently cited ecosystem service of urban agriculture, however, the role of urban agriculture as green infrastructure has not been formally recognized due to a lack of quantitative information about its stormwater impact. This has kept urban agriculture operations from receiving funding designated for green infrastructure. Access to this funding could increase the capacity for urban agriculture to manage stormwater while supporting the many other benefits that urban agriculture creates. Many urban agriculture sites are operated by community organizations, which may not have the resources to formally measure and therefore gain recognition for the environmental impacts of their work at UA sites. The proposed poster presentation outlines an ongoing research project that seeks to fill this gap by examining how urban agriculture functions as community-built green infrastructure, and in doing so, highlight the contributions of communities in shaping their urban ecosystems. By building a quantitative understanding of urban agriculture's role as green infrastructure, the work can inform how urban agriculture is framed in terms of access to funding and stormwater climate resilience.

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  Reflections on Regional Food Governance from a National Community of Practice

  Jill Clark

  Governance is an essential aspect of all social systems, and involves joint decision-making among participants, power sharing, and shared problem-solving. A shift towards regional governance within food systems work rather than the actions of government alone introduces greater complexity into problem solving. Dr. Clark’s research is based in agrifood system policy and practice, and centers on community and state governance of food systems, the policy process and community engagement. In this session, she draws on her community-based research and collaboration with local communities across the United States to explore the benefits of taking a regional approach to strengthening food systems through food policy councils (FPCs). Regional FPCs involved greater interaction with decision-makers and policy, allowing for the ability to work at a larger scale, while addressing different issues with different stakeholders. Dr. Clark discusses a model framework for studying regional collaborative governance, which includes membership and leadership, agenda, internal capacity, internal credibility, and external credibility. She shares an overview of the current work of several FPCs around the country, including the NWI Food Council, Western Prairie Food and Farm Community Alliance, and the Columbia Gorge Food Security Coalition.

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  The Sustainability Paradox: Experiences of Farmers in Vermont

  David Conner, Josh Taylor, Lisa Chase, and Shiva Soroushnia

  Sustainability holds great social significance for both consumers and farmers, but economic sustainability proves to be much more challenging. A team of UVM researchers conducted a study on the experiences of farmers in Vermont in hopes to address the tensions in trying to achieve sustainability and seek to understand how participatory research can help. The study focused on farms engaged in consumer-facing agriculture (CFA), which includes farms utilizing agritourism and direct markets sales. Interviews with six CFA farms in Vermont focused on how they understand, measure, and apply sustainability in farm management. These farmers expressed great difficulty in contributing to the goals of sustainability while remaining economically viable, and that these problems are difficult and even stigmatized to talk about. The results from this study were compared against recent interview data from seven additional farms in Vermont as well data from the NASS census regarding farm finances to address larger patterns concerning farm viability. With ecological vitality at the foundation of both social and economic systems, factors like climate change, increasingly unreliable weather, extreme storms, and other ecological crises mean that these farms face growing precarity that affect both production and farmer well-being. Researchers examined the impacts on the health and well-being of farmers who find deep meaning in being socially, economically, and ecologically sustainable but experience cognitive and practical dissonance in realizing they cannot achieve these aims. This session explored these issues through a facilitated discussion with deep questioning of agricultural sustainability and its implications. The session included three of the farmer research participants to keep the discussion grounded in farmer experiences, while creating dialogue among researchers and farmers on how to move forward. Panelists discussed how Land Grant universities could recenter agricultural research and advocacy to support rather than scrutinize farmers who are already fulfilling essential human needs and providing ecosystem services. Considering the results of this study, they called for revisiting and reframing the concept of sustainability and its central role in the discourse of agriculture and food systems.

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  The Changing Dairy Industry and Impact on Northeast Farmers

  Bridget Craig

  Dairy producers in the Northeast face critical decisions that impact farm viability in the face of changing consumer views, a variable milk market, and climate change. Implementation of alternative management practices on dairy farms can have many benefits to farmers, consumers, and the environment. While grazing, organic certification, and non-traditional marketplaces can benefit both the cows and the farm business, producers may struggle to accept these practices. Using an exploratory survey and subsequent interviews with dairy industry stakeholders, this research seeks to more deeply understand the values, social norms and beliefs that support and constrict the transition to these practices. Preliminary results show that producers thought processes are unique between each farm, showing a need for specific understanding and creative solutions. However, producers are unified in their understanding that consumer knowledge and acceptance of dairy farming is critical to the success of the industry. Our application of qualitative research methods allows for firsthand accounts from dairy producers in the area and enables producers to be heard directly by those who seek to support them. This research can inform agricultural policy in the Northeast, allowing for a mutualistic relationship between local government and dairy farmers. Government funds that are provided to producers through grants or subsidies should be tailored both to the current and aspirational realities of the producers in that area to ensure the most efficient use of those funds. Dairy farming is an integral thread in the fabric of rural life in the Northeast. A strategic and thoughtful support network for these farmers is key to protecting the intangible cultural value of Northeast dairy food systems.

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  Case Studies in Publicly Engaged Agroecology Research

  Sara Delaney, Ali Bello, Alaina Ring, and Alex Scearce

  The Agroecology Lab at the University of Maine is an interdisciplinary group of faculty, post-docs, staff, graduate and undergraduate students, and affiliated cooperators. They are committed to conducting research and outreach that serves communities, with a special focus on the intersection between natural resource use (agriculture and forestry), human dimensions of natural resource use, and complex challenges such as climate change, food insecurity, and environmental contamination. In this session, researchers at the lab presented various case studies of their research projects using photography and short descriptions, specifically highlighting the successes and challenges in achieving participation. Projects included: 1) partnerships with commercial growers in Maine investigating the effects of changing precipitation on wild blueberries, 2) a long-term interview-based study of the impacts of a climate adaptation educational fellowship program for northeast farmers and agricultural advisors 3) field trials inspired by farmer feedback which are testing new approaches to inter-seeding in order to make cover-cropping more accessible in the northeast 4) an investigation of PFAS contamination and crop uptake on Maine farms, and exploration of how this may be mitigated through farm management practices 5) and the establishment of an agroforestry research and demonstration site focused on alley cropping in the Northeast. Panelists used a story-telling approach to present their findings and concluded with stakeholder if applicable, depending on the current phase of each project. Attendees were then given time to discuss ideas for how participatory elements could be more fully integrated in these projects, with a goal of sparking ideas for future research initiatives.

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  Utilizing Precision Dairy Technology (PDT) to Monitor Behavioral and Physiological Parameters in Dairy

  Tadeu Eder de Silva

  Utilizing Precision Dairy Technologies (PDT) for monitoring behavioral and physiological parameters in dairy cows, enhances on-farm decision-making. Understanding individual cow variations in behavioral patterns can help farmers to make more informative decisions, promoting greater cow health and welfare. This study aimed to investigate individual variations in rumination, locomotion and feeding activity, inactivity, and panting time (h/d) in dairy cows, utilizing a comprehensive dataset from 298 Brazilian dairy farms. Individual data on these variables were gathered from dairy farms (n = 3,902,551 records from 12,851 dairy cows) using behavior monitoring collars. Following data cleaning and outlier removal, 90.61% (3,802,463 records) were retained. To assess animal variability for each response variable, we applied the Wood model to each cow data. The Wood model, comprising parameters a, b, and c, was selected after visually evaluating the average curve for each response variable across lactation days. We defined cow variability as the residual standard deviation derived from each adjusted model. The average and median rumination time variability were 0.766 and 0.742 h/d, respectively (n = 12,739; min = 0.199, first quartile (Q1) = 0.658; third quartile (Q3) = 0.845; max = 1.763, skewness = 1.1 (right skewed)). The average and median locomotion and feeding activity time variability were 0.827 and 0.791 h/d, respectively (n = 12,775; min = 0.172, Q1 = 0.677; Q3 = 0.933; max = 2.648, skewness = 1.372 (right skewed)). The average and median inactivity time variability were 0.935 and 0.901 h/d, respectively (n = 12,618; min = 0.063, Q1 = 0.789; Q3 = 1.040; max = 2.479 skewness = 1.293 (right skewed)). The average and median panting time variability were 0.326 and 0.306 h/d, respectively (n = 12,726; min = 0.128, Q1 = 0.275; Q3 = 0.358; max = 0.754, skewness = 1.45 (right skewed)). In conclusion, this study displays the variability of dairy cow behaviors and physiological parameters, providing insights that can enable the identification of abnormal patterns, potentially supporting interventions for improved animal health and management.

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  Cow-calf contact systems: effects on dairy cattle health and welfare

  Marine Durrenwachter, Emeline Nogues, João H.C. Costa, and Kate Creutzinger

  This exploratory observational study aims to investigate the effect of dam-rearing calf systems on the welfare and health of cows and calves. The second objective is to describe the perceptions of dairy producers toward the benefits and challenges of implementing cow-calf contact systems, and how this practice fits with the future of the dairy industry. Twelve farms practicing dam-calf rearing management will be visited 3 times: Spring, Summer, and Fall 2024; all cow-calf pairs with pre-weaned calves will be assessed. At each visit, all cow-calf pairs currently kept together will be scored for body condition score (BCS), hygiene, diarrhea, respiratory disease, and lameness. Milk samples will be collected from cows with their calves and  30 d after calving. Milk analysis includes non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), somatic sell count (SCC), fat (%), protein (%), lactose (%), and a fatty acids profile. Descriptive results are presented from Spring farm visits (n = 10 farms, n = 102 cow-calf pairs). No cows showed an emaciated state (BCS < 2) and 79% of the cows were scored between 2.5 and 3.5 suggesting good energetical nutritional status. Majority of the calves had normal scores for respiratory disease signs (93 % for nasal, 88% for ear, and 92% for eye scores). Milk analysis revealed an average of 2.48% fat, 3.19 % of protein, and 25% of cows had SCC below the limit of 400 x 1000 cells/mL. 30 % of the cows had NEFA superior to 0.4 mmol/L and no cows had BHB superior to 1.2 mmol/L suggesting a good energy balance. These first results indicate good health for cows and calves when raised together but cow-calf contact appears to influence milk composition.

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  Small, medium, and large farms adapt in their own ways: Evidence from three water-related climate adaptation practices

  Elizabeth Espinosa-Uquillas

  The heterogeneity among farms of different sizes has been overlooked in the climate change adaptation literature, yet it is crucial for identifying effective policy interventions. Using state-level, AgCensus data from 2012–2017—disaggregated by 12 farm-size groups—and other data sources, we examine differences in the adoption of three water-related climate adaptation practices (cover crops, tile drainage, and irrigation) and investigate whether adoption rates can be better understood and predicted from farm-size multilevel models as compared to pooled models, by applying a beta regression within a Bayesian framework. We find that small farms adopt cover crops mostly on the East and West Coasts, but large farms adopt considerably more compared to small farms on the East Coast. Farms of every size employ intensive tile drainage in the Midwest and Northeast; however, large farms implement this practice more extensively compared to small farms in these regions. Extensive irrigation zones for larger farms compared to small farms are located in Nebraska and the Mississippi Delta, and, to a lesser extent, Idaho, Georgia, and Texas. Multilevel models show more predictive power than pooled models, although certainty levels are low. Our findings suggest that predictor variables of adoption rates differ across farm sizes and practices, including the role of government programs, farm management, and even climate factors. For instance, while federal payments have generally negative associations with adaptation practices, although reasons differ across farm sizes, insurance use shows positive correlations. And, contrary to large farms, smaller farms’ adoption of capital-intensive practices is associated with climate changes rather than productivity-associated gains alone. We conclude that encouraging the adoption of water-related climate adaptation practices, especially among smaller farms, may require adjustments to current federal and state programs, as well as capital-intensive technologies to fully realize their implementation.

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  Land Use Change & Food Systems in South America

  Gillian Galford, Stephanie Sperra, Marcia Macedo, and Ludmila Rattis

  Due to different conservation laws in the Amazon and Cerrado, the Cerrado has become a “sacrifice zone” for deforestation, and between 1985 and 2023, 39 million hectares were deforested. While 43% of plant species are found only in the Cerrado Biome, it is the most unprotected savanna in the world. The greatest threat to the biome is the expansion of croplands, especially soy. This interdisciplinary discussion combined various professional perspectives to investigate the socioeconomic and environmental factors influencing land-use transitions in the Cerrado Biome. Panelists discussed their research on various methods to increase agricultural production to meet global food needs while not negatively impacting native species. Researchers identified trends in land characteristics and the driving factors of agricultural expansion and abandonment, presenting their findings in a range of models, heat-maps, and correlation graphs. Panelists explored current and future solutions, such as Brazil’s Forrest Code (Environmental Law) and the Cerrado de Pe association, which was started in 2017 to provide seeds for restoration projects in the Chapada dos Veadeiros region and has led to the restoration of 90 hectares.

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  Rapa Nui and COVID-19: Opportunities for food system transformation

  Maria J. Godoy Harb

  There is growing literature supporting the pressing need for food systems transformation towards resiliency, particularly in the face of climate change and, more recently, the COVID-19 pandemic. Pacific Islands offer valuable perspectives on food system transformation processes during COVID-19 considering the increasing dependency on food imports, the rising levels of non-infectious diseases, and the loss of indigenous foodways existent in these territories. Rapa Nui is a remote Pacific Island home of the Rapanui indigenous people who isolated themselves from the mainland for 2.5 years during the COVID-19 pandemic. We drew on participatory approaches to document local knowledge around food system resilience in Rapa Nui during COVID-19 in the agricultural sector and provide specific recommendations for policymakers to strengthen the local food system based on strategies outlined by Leeuwis et al. (2021). We conducted 13 in-depth interviews with various food system stakeholders, revealing the adverse impact of the pandemic on food security, particularly in its early stages. However, we also observed a remarkable resilience, marked by a resurgence of indigenous Rapanui cultural practices, which played a pivotal role in sustaining food security. We conclude that Rapa Nui has undergone an accelerated transformation in the last decades characterized by a growing reliance on food imports and a shift towards less nutrient-dense food, reducing overall food system resilience. Globalization is seen as a dominant trend at the landscape level that was temporary but strongly counterbalanced during the COVID-19 pandemic. This external shock favored the alignment of diverse forces at the niche and dominant food regime guided by strong cultural revitalization, indicating conducive conditions for sustainable food system transformation. Policymakers and food system stakeholders must take advantage of this opportunity by investing in innovative, multi-stakeholder food system governance structures aligned with indigenous Pasifika cultural values, and by fostering system robustness.

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  Improving Accessibility of Workplace Rights and Benefits for California Farmworkers, the Backbone of our Food Systems

  Ruchika Jaiswal, Carolyn Subramaniam, Rachel Bressler, and Samantha Burns

  California is a cornerstone of the US food system, providing over a third of the country’s vegetables and nearly three-quarters of the country’s fruits and nuts. However, this large agricultural production is only possible due to the over 400,000 farmworkers employed in the State at any given time, accounting for an estimated one third to half of all agricultural workers in the US. Despite farmworkers’ importance in the California food system, challenges related to immigration status, language barriers, poor pay, occupational hazards, inadequate training, and discrimination culminate into barriers that make farmworker communities highly vulnerable to poor health outcomes. Few studies have examined the inaccessibility of care and workplace benefits among undocumented and pregnant farmworkers in California, nor the urgency, or lack thereof, to limit pesticide exposure. Additionally, research is limited on the barriers preventing farmworker access to legally entitled workplace benefits and accommodations after experiencing an injury or illness due to occupational pesticide exposure. Thus, our research intends to explore the following questions: What role do healthcare providers and patient advocates play in supporting farmworkers exposed to pesticides in accessing care and workplace benefits? How can accessibility be improved in workplace benefits, accommodations, and care? Our team conducted informational interviews to understand the barriers and inequities these laborers face, and used this information to develop medical education resources. This poster identifies practical recommendations for different system actors based on feedback from our contacted stakeholders and our own experiences navigating these rights and benefits systems.

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  Local and Regional Food Production and Food as Medicine

  Kacey LaBonte

  Western and Indigenous practices intertwine in efforts to utilize food as medicine to improve food sovereignty and health outcomes. The Two-Eyed Seeing approach, articulated by Mi’kmaw Elder Albert Marshall, offers an illustrative model for leveraging both knowledge paradigms for the greater good. Our project links the Two-Eyed Seeing approach to aspects of food systems and overall resilience to realize cultural practice, personal and community health, and opportunities for new food markets. Our poster will discuss this project and delve into these two dimensions, with embedded interest in local and regional food production and gathering practices. The first dimension involves analysis of incorporating health-promoting and culturally relevant foods into medical contexts through produce prescriptions, food pharmacies, and medically tailored meals. The second dimension emphasizes the importance of Indigenous knowledge and practices in this space. From our research, we see the intersections of these two dimensions through broad community food systems development. Due to the growing desire to incorporate such practices in our food and health systems, there is a unique opportunity for farmers, healthcare providers, and food businesses to link the values of local and regionally produced food and connect their practices to healthcare systems. Food as medicine-related farming and business strategies reveal that these operations are impacted and informed by the challenges posed by concurrent public health crises and climate disruption. Recognizing the interconnectedness of these issues, we have come to understand that any effective approach to food as medicine must consider resilience efforts within the broader context of food systems. In this poster, we will share the current state of our work with a focus on the intricate relationships between food, health, and resilience, and outline our plans for future food as medicine initiatives.

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  Identifying Candidate Genes for Tomato Anthracnose Resistance through QTL and PACE Analyses: Implications for Sustainable Food Systems

  Carlos Lupez-Ortiz

  Anthracnose, caused by the fungal pathogen Colletotrichum spp., is one of the most significant tomato diseases worldwide. No commercial cultivars with anthracnose resistance are available, leading to substantial crop losses and increased reliance on fungicides. Developing cultivars with genetic resistance is crucial for enhancing sustainability in food systems by reducing chemical inputs and preserving crop yields. To address this challenge, a recombinant inbred line (RIL) mapping population (N = 243) has been made from a cross between the susceptible US28 cultivar and the resistant but semiwild and small-fruited 95L368 to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with anthracnose resistance. The RIL population was phenotyped for resistance by inoculating ripe field-harvested tomato fruits with Colletotrichum coccodes for two seasons. We identified twenty QTLs underlying resistance, with a range of phenotypic variance of 4.5 to 17.2%, using a skeletal linkage map and GWAS. In addition, a QTLseq analysis was performed using deep sequencing of extreme bulks that validated QTL positions identified using traditional mapping and resolved candidate genes underlying various QTLs. We further validated AP2-like ethylene-responsive transcription factor (AP2/ERF), N-alpha-acetyltransferase, cytochrome P450, bHLH transcription factor, and disease resistance protein RGA2-like using PCR allelic competitive extension (PACE) genotyping. Currently, functional research utilizing CRISPR/Cas9 gene knockout for AP2/ERF TF has been conducted, and the role of this QTN will be presented. Additionally, the PACE assays developed in this study will enable high-throughput screening for anthracnose resistance breeding and promote more resilient and sustainable tomato cultivation practices within food systems.

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  Food, Labor, and Social Sustainability

  Teresa Marie Mares, Laura-Anne Minkoff-Zern, Jess Schenk, and Matt Landi

  The panelists of this session recently completed a co-authored book “Will Work For Food: Labor across the Food Chain,” which looks at labor across the food chain, exploring at the intersections between social movements in United States food systems and labor organizing. In this session, they discussed key issues raised in the book with key food system actors for whom these are pressing. They discussed the important role of labor justice in building a more sustainable and resilient food system. By engaging in both an intersectional approach and a food-systems framework, panelists explored the historical and present-day conditions, contexts, and forms of resistance that workers experience and contribute to in today’s food sector jobs. Attendees also heard from local worker organizers in the food system about their experiences working in the food system and what it means for food jobs to be good jobs.

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  Building a Community Informed Research Agenda for the FSRC: Results of the ASPIRES Regional Listening Tour

  Andrew May, Kerry Daigle, and Clarie Whitehouse

  In the fall of 2022, the FSRC launched the ASPIRES project (Alternative System Pathways for Interconnected Resilience, Equity, and Sustainability) to explore alternative pathways that promote resilience, equity, and sustainability within current food systems with an emphasis and research. ASPIRES is co-led by UVM’s Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) and Center for Rural Studies (CRA) and engaged directly with community partners to contemplate various food system futures, leverage these discussions for research pilot projects, and assess the potential implementation of alternative food system futures. This report summarizes findings from the first year of the ASPIRES project. This listening tour was designed to capture the voices and perspectives from diverse food systems professionals, including stakeholders in agriculture, food processing, food distribution, food retail, food waste and circular economies, the food industry, indigenous and underserved communities, food and nutritional security, food and agriculture advocacy, as well as food policy and governance. The primary goals of this listening tour were threefold: to introduce the FSRC to the region and its stakeholders; to understand food system concerns and challenges from the perspective of community members and organizations; and to discover potential solutions and alternative systems that community members and organizations are eager to explore for the region. This session debriefed the findings from the first year of the ASPIRES project, exploring a range of challenges and potential solutions identified within regional food systems. Survey respondents emphasized the need for increased funding, improved educational outreach, increased efficiency in food waste reduction, reduced barriers to charitable food systems, increased farmland access for new and marginalized farmers, reduced economic barriers to operating a farm business, and improved working conditions for farmers. In future years, the ASPIRES project will pursue some of the potential solutions identified in the listening tour through providing pilot funding to test, measure, and model impacts on resilience, equity, and sustainability outcomes. The results of these pilot projects will inform the implementation of new technologies, ideas, and system changes for the region.

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  Adapting Agriculture to Climate Risks

  Nathan Mueller

  Food systems are profoundly connected with the environment, and changing climate patterns put food production increasingly at risk. In this presentation, Dr. Mueller presented his research on adapting agriculture to climate risks with the aim of achieving more sustainable agricultural production while also helping agricultural systems adapt to climate change. His research uses modeling with spatial data and artificial intelligence (AI) to visualize the complex interactions between climate change, land use, resource availability, and production outcomes. Mueller explores the interdependence of three central aspects of climate risk and adaptation: vulnerability reduction, hazard reduction, and exposure reduction. Mueller draws conclusions from his research using complex models of various climate risks including wildfires, droughts, and heavy rainfall and their impact on agriculture from crops to livestock. Mueller explores how climate risk framing allows researchers to understand adaptation options, including vulnerability reduction for dairy, rainfed crop migration, and irrigation/ET-driven reductions in extreme heat.

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  Hemp as a ‘sustainable-hyped’ product : Awareness of Hemp-Based Product Categories in USA and Implications on Sustainability Transitions

  Teresa Mungazi

  Hemp’s success as a re-emerging crop in the US hinges on a solid understanding of the market and consumer demand for its products. In a recent study based on a national survey on hemp demand, the main factors that influence consumer awareness of hemp-based products were assessed. The study has shed some light on the relationship between consumer concern for the environment and level of awareness of hemp-based products. This interaction becomes even more important when we consider the well-recognized contribution of hypes in driving sustainability transitions and the mainstreaming of sustainable products. Hypes are inflated expectations surrounding an innovation (or product) when it first enters the market and are often accompanied by phases of disappointment. The definition is stated according to Gartner’s ‘hype cycle model’ which was developed to forecast new innovations in the early stages of their life cycle. Hemp has been identified as one of such products because of the surge of interest surrounding its sustainability potential after the 2018 Farm Bill, which was followed by disappointments and more realistic frames around its sustainability. In sustainability transition literature, hypes are relevant for proving windows of opportunity for shifting from dominant practices to more sustainable alternatives. This prompted us to consider hemp as a ‘natural-hyped’ product and extend beyond hemp awareness, to encompass the broader sustainability transition theme and gain insights into how hypes influence sustainability transitions.

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  A four-pillar modeling approach to sustainable diets: The health, environmental, economic, and social impacts of shifting to U.S.-recommended dietary patterns

  Julia Nelson and Kyra Battaglia

  Current dietary patterns are unsustainable and major gaps in diet sustainability assessments remain. There is substantial research assessing the role of dietary patterns within four pillars of sustainability: environment, health, economic, and social. While addressing each pillar is essential to achieve sustainability, to our knowledge, no one has assessed all pillars simultaneously when analyzing diet-outcome relationships. We aim to model the sustainability impacts of shifting from current diets to four dietary patterns recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA), using a 4-pillar framework of sustainability. Current dietary intake for U.S. adults was estimated using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2015–2016 and 2017–2018). Recommended food patterns came from the DGA 2020-2025 report. Cardiometabolic (CMD)- and cancer-specific health outcomes associated with intake of 18 food groups were calculated using a Comparative Risk Assessment approach. Environmental, economic, and social impacts were calculated using life cycle impact assessment, food cost, and forced labor risk datasets, respectively, and a Monte Carlo approach. Shifting to the four recommended patterns results in health benefits, with the greatest reduction in adverse health outcomes for the Healthy Vegetarian (VEG) pattern, followed by the Healthy Vegan (VEGN) pattern. Concurrently, shifting to each of the four patterns results in increased water scarcity. Adopting the Healthy-Mediterranean and Healthy-US Style patterns results in increased global warming potential (GWP), cumulative energy demand (CED), blue water consumption, food cost, and forced labor risk (FL). However, the VEG and VEGN patterns result in reduced GWP, CED, and blue water impacts, as well as reduced cost and FL. This analysis highlights the benefits and tradeoffs of transitioning from current diets to DGA-recommended diets based on a 4-pillar framework of sustainability.

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  New England Integrated Policy Program (NEIPP)

  Karen Nordstrom, Francine Miller, Alexander Redfield, and Peter Allison

  The New England Integrated Policy Program (NEIPP) is a collaborative initiative created by Food Solutions New England (FSNE) and Wildlands, Woodlands, Farmlands & Communities (WWF&C) to promote integrated, region-wide policies that address the urgent need for climate resilience, biodiversity, thriving ecosystems, community well-being, and food sovereignty in New England. NEIPP facilitates multi-state, relationship-centered solutions that advance land and water conservation and biodiversity to support the just transition of food, land, forestry, and fisheries systems towards sustainability and resilience. By building broad networks and coalitions intersecting conservation and food system issues, NEIPP amplifies calls for redirecting community, political, and financial resources to serve democratic, equitable stewardship and resilient communities, while providing a unique opportunity to forge diverse coalitions around shared values connecting food, farming, fisheries, forests, and communities. There is no clear framework for the governance of our regional food system, yet there are many initiatives already underway at various organizations throughout New England that seek to do just this. Using a project currently under development as a case study, this session explored how NEIPP can work to leverage existing efforts to develop a regional governance conceptual framework, translate a conceptual approach to the governance of our regional food system to policy practitioners, and advance an understanding of how regional governance can better prioritize equity and human rights. Insights gleaned from this discussion will help inform project development and the direction of the NEIPP broadly.

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  Community Capitals and Food Resilience

  Beatrice Nyarko

  The Community Capitals framework, which identifies seven distinct types of community assets – natural, cultural, human, social, political, financial, and built capital – can be used as a framework for understanding and enhancing the resilience of communities and food systems. This research explores the intersection of community capitals and food resilience, emphasizing the importance of a holistic approach to building sustainable and resilient food systems. This research project uses the Community Capitals models as a lens to understand food systems resilience. Recent work suggests that capitals with clear units and means of measurement are more readily identified by stakeholders: for instance, financial capital can be measured by dollars, built capital like a warehouse can be measured by area). In contrast, other capitals that are less well defined and lack clear units of measurement, which we call “hidden capitals” are less readily identified by stakeholders. This research work focuses on the how the “hidden capitals” (social, cultural, human, and political) can be measured and their role in building a resilient food system. We will be using qualitative research approach to measure respondents’ perceptions and awareness, and how their organizations invest in these “hidden capitals.” The research will be carried out using face-to-face interviews with food system professionals in Vermont and the data collected will be analyzed using thematic coding. Based on results, we will develop implications for future practice.