Policy and Advocacy
Why is Policy and Advocacy a Priority?
Policy uses research and analysis to gain a better understanding of the root causes of complex issues in society, and identifies how rules, laws, and regulations can be used as key solutions. There is a robust and complex system that works to get food from our farms to our forks, all shaped by policy. Rules, regulations, and laws shape everything from where farmers can grow food to how food can be labeled and sold. These policies also establish what resources are available to farmers and communities
Most of our agriculture policy in the United States is shaped at the federal level by the Farm Bill. If we were to paint a picture of the food system in Arizona, think of the Farm Bill as the large brush strokes that determine what a picture will be. The Farm Bill is a big piece of legislation that is passed every five years that shapes how food is grown, what kinds of food are grown, and how people access food. This includes programs like crop insurance, farm loans, reference prices for
commodities, and federal nutrition programs including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP), and the Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP). The three original goals of the Farm Bill, passed in the 1930s, were to keep food prices fair for farmers and consumers, ensure an adequate food supply, and protect and sustain the country’s vital natural resources. The policies established in Farm Bill are written by members of Congress through input from a variety of groups and advocates, including national and local food policy councils and coalitions. Members of Congress look to experts in the field to help shape and change food system policies. Having input from farmers with different farming practices, communities in both urban and rural areas, and people with lived experience helps to ensure that in the United States we have a Farm Bill that works for everyone.
While the Farm Bill is responsible for painting the largest policy brush strokes, rules and regulations help to fill in the details of the painting. Federal agencies are tasked with taking the language established in legislation and establishing rules and regulations for implementation. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal agency responsible for developing and executing policy on farming, agriculture, and food, and is tasked with implementing the policies established in the Farm Bill. Sharing expertise and opinion through the regulatory process helps to ensure that USDA programs are implemented as they were intended, and that they are carried out in a fair and equitable manner.
State and local policy work is essential to supplement federal food and agriculture policy, and serves as the finishing touches to our food systems painting. State and local policy work is responsible for adding unique and state-specific laws, rules, and regulations. For example, creating new programs, such as the Agriculture Workforce Development Program, or establishing oversight for farm inputs like water and soil.
AZFSN is well-positioned to elevate the diverse voices and experiences of our members, and shape food and agriculture policy at federal, state and regulatory levels.
Policy and Advocacy Goal
Implement federal, state, and local policy and regulation changes that address existing barriers to a resilient food system.
What AZFSN members shared about Policy and Advocacy as a statewide priority
Policy and advocacy emerged as a critical priority area. Stakeholders expressed that, without sustained advocacy efforts, essential food system programs risk being eliminated. They emphasized the need for multi-level engagement that includes everyone from local to state representatives, with particular focus on educating policymakers about food system needs and ensuring continuity despite potential changes in elected leadership. Stakeholders also called for increased flexibility in program requirements for both tribal and non-tribal communities, better integration of Arizona Food Systems Network priorities into existing municipal food action plans, and enhanced political engagement across the network. There was strong interest in collaborative advocacy training that would equip participants with storytelling skills and practical knowledge for engaging at council meetings and city-level forums, recognizing that effective advocacy requires both interconnected efforts with government agencies and grassroots capacity building to amplify the collective voice for food system change.
Potential Policy and Advocacy Activities
| Land Access & Growing Rights |
| Advocate for policy that supports sustainable farming practices and land access to increase food production |
| Advocate for policies that support growers by reducing barriers to grow food and increase access to land to allow agriculture to flourish |
| Develop policies that reclaim the built environment for food production in urban areas |
| Advocate for policies that make it easier for people and producers to grow food, such as lowering the acreage requirement for agriculture exemption status, and overturning policies that prohibit growing food, such as front-yard gardens |
| Water Access & Infrastructure |
| Encourage municipalities and federal entities to distribute or supply (for a small charge) water catchment systems to harvest rainwater |
| Identify and support policies that ensure equitable water access for small-scale agriculture producers |
| Workforce & Labor Support |
| Provide policy support for Agriculture Workforce Development Program (AWDP) and other Agriculture Workforce legislation |
| Food Waste Reduction |
| Support policies for smart food recovery systems to reduce local food waste and repurpose food in a way that benefits the community |
| Create a smell-by-sell-by policy change on food labels that more accurately reflects food safety, not food quality, to reduce food waste |
| Government Training & Coordination |
| Create engagement and interaction opportunities for municipal and county governments to share best practices on how to support food production, distribution, sourcing, and communication about local food initiatives |
| Provide trainings and resources on how to support food systems through government activities |
| School Food Programs |
| Enact policies that provide financial and logistical incentives to school districts, empowering them to prioritize the purchase of locally produced food for students and staff |
| Incentivize farm-to-school programs for both farmers and institutional buyers by addressing the barriers both parties experience throughout the process |
| Healthcare & Nutrition Programs |
| Advocate for 1115 Medicaid waivers to address food, hunger, and nutrition issues for programs such as produce prescription programs and medically tailored food boxes |
| Work with the state legislature and state agencies to implement Food as Medicine Prescription Produce Programs throughout the state |
| Food Access & Affordability |
| Expand alternative currency options and financial offsets to make nutritious food more accessible and affordable for low-income families using 1115 Medicaid waivers and OTC health care plan dollars |
| Supply Chain Infrastructure |
| Strengthen the supply chain by advocating for funding at the local, state, and federal levels to support food processing and middle of the supply chain infrastructure development |
Are you working on a relevant policy initiative?
We are asking AZFSN partners to help us gather and collect data across the state to help track and monitor the progress of the food action plan.
