FSNE Winter Series Week 3: Visionary Food Policy

Recording of the event can be found here.

Chat transcript with links here.

FSNE envisions a powerful, democratic movement transforming our regional food systems to sustainability and resilience over the next decade.  One of the primary objects of this movement is public policy and governance of our food system. As the seeds of a democratic regional food system continue to grow, an aspirational policy platform is emerging to connect the shared values of FSNE, the New England Food Vision, the Wildlands & Woodlands Vision, and the Regional Conservation Partnership network with broader intersectional movements such as the Renew New England Alliance to impact policy formulation and the policy making process. 

The New England Food and Wildlands & Woodlands visions continue to generate dialogue across the region about a food, landscape, and seascape future in which at least half of our food is produced and harvested sustainably while ensuring healthy food for all, racial equity, thriving rural and urban communities, and healthy and resilient ecosystems and enterprises. 

Our emerging aspirational policy platform is intended to both feed and reflect the public imagination about what we can accomplish collectively, and to mobilize a growing coalition encompassing food, farming, fishing, forests, and equity, as well as broader intersectional networks that are rooted in a set of shared values and commitments to advance the policies and governance needed to democratically transition our food system and our region to sustainability and resilience.

• How do we best contribute to democratic transformation and governance of a New England food system rooted in racial equity, sustainability, and resilience by 2030?
• What can we learn from and contribute to other regions, contexts, and broader international and intersectional perspectives that will strengthen our collective impact in the policy and governance arena?
• What aspirational regional policy goals will have the greatest positive impact towards realizing our shared vision and values?
• How can coordinated/connected local and state policies influence and advance our regional policy goals?

Join us to hear from special guests about how we can advance a coordinated policy platform for our region that brings together our goals and values for food, farming, fishing and forestry.

Featuring:

Keynote guests: Dr. Mariama White-Hammond (Renew New England Alliance) & Jordan Treakle (National Family Farm Coalition)

Guest Panelists: Rosanna Marie Neil (Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance), David Foster (Harvard Forest), Jamie Pottern & Chelsea Gazillo (American Farmland Trust), Craig Lapine (Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry)

Event Flow:

• 9:00 am to 10:45 am – Opening, Keynote Guests, Q&A and discussion breakout groups
• 10:45 am to 11:00 am – Stretch break for everyone
• 11:00 am to 12:45 pm –  Stories from our panelists, Q&A and discussion breakout groups
• 12:45 pm to 1:00 pm – Closing and next steps

Who should attend?

Anyone who considers themselves part of the New England Food System is automatically part of the regional network. Because of the virtual nature of this gathering, food system advocates from outside of New England are also welcome to attend. If your food system working includes farming, fishing, value-added food products, food security, food access, food waste, policy & advocacy, education, planning, distribution and logistics, food justice and food sovereignty….please join us!

This session is free but space is limited and registration is required. The session will be held in English, closed captioned/transcripted and will be recorded for later viewing. Facilitation by Tom Kelly, Joy Gary and Adam Kotin with support from FSNE staff.

See information about the full series here!

More about our guests:

Rev. Mariama White-Hammond

Rev. Mariama White-Hammond is an advocate for ecological & social justice, youth engagement, and Spirit-filled organizing. Rev. Mariama is the founding pastor of New Roots AME Church in Dorchester, MA. Rev. Mariama is active in secular and interfaith justice efforts. She is the Co-Chair of the Renew New England Alliance.

Jordan Treakle

Jordan has worked with rural communities on social and economic justice issues in agriculture since 2008, with focuses on policy advocacy for farmer land rights, agroecology, and fair prices for food producers. Originally from the mountains of North Carolina, Jordan is based in Washington, D.C. Jordan is Policy Coordinator with the National Family Farm Coalition.

David Foster

David is an ecologist and faculty member at Harvard University where he served as director of the Harvard Forest until stepping down this year to teach conservation and advance the efforts of the Wildlands and Woodlands Initiative, Highstead Foundation, and Food Solutions New England.

Rosanna Marie Neil 

Rosanna serves as Policy Counsel at the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance and helps to lead NAMA’s ocean, fisheries and food policy work. She collaborates with allies to address a range of issues including industrial fish farming and the impacts of privatization on fishing communities.

Craig Lapine

Craig is on Maine DACF’s policy team and manages special projects for the Commissioner’s Office, including leading the Ending Hunger in Maine by 2030 initiative. Prior to that, Craig ran a food justice organization for 18 years. His family has a homestead-scale farm in Pownal, ME.

Jamie Pottern 

Jamie Pottern is the New England Program Manager at American Farmland Trust and the co-author of AFT’s “Farms Under Threat: A New England Perspective” special report. Jamie holds a Masters in Sustainable Landscape Planning & Design from the Conway School and a BA from Brandeis University.

Chelsea Gazillo

Chelsea is the AFT NE Program Manager. In CT, she leads the Working Lands Alliance. As part of this work, she directs research and education, policy development, grassroots and direct advocacy for AFT’s NE Office. She has a Masters Degree in Policy Advocacy and Analysis from SIT Graduate Institute.