Increasing Support for Sustainable Food in the City of Santa Monica

Prepared by: Heather Fenney June 2009

Thank you to the City of Santa Monica employees and community partners who provided information that helped in the compilation of this report. Thank you also to Alicia Culver and Jenny Huston from the Green Purchasing Institute (http://www.greenpurchasing.org) for reviewing this report and providing feedback and input. For More Information contact Heather Fenney at [email protected] or 310-591-4017

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INTRODUCTION On July 21, 2008 the City of Santa Monica, Task Force on the Environment unanimously passed a motion to “sign and implement actions in accordance with the Cool Foods Pledge in an effort to attain the goals established in the Sustainable City Plan.” The motion recommended the following actions for the city and city council: • Council reach out to Santa Monica College and the Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District to sign the Cool Foods Pledge • Council evaluate food sustainability as a priority in this years focus in the Sustainable City Plan implementation. • The Sustainable Quality Award criteria be updated to include vegetarian and sustainable food options. • The City include food purchasing in the City’s sustainable procurement efforts.

On September 9, 2008 the Santa Monica City Council approved a motion introduced by Councilmember McKeown (also a member of the Task Force on the Environment), to “elevate food sustainability to a priority focus in this years Sustainable City Plan implementation; include food purchasing in the City’s sustainable procurement efforts; and sign Santa Monica on to the global warming education and empowerment program called the Cool Foods Pledge.”

The Cool Food Pledge is an element of the Cool Food Campaign, which “educates the public about how food choices can affect global warming and empowers them with the resources to reduce this impact.”1

The Cool Food Pledge We pledge to promote awareness about the effects food choices have on global warming and whenever possible: • Choose organic foods • Reduce conventional meat and dairy consumption; opt for organic, local and grass-fed alternatives • Buy food grown locally, or grow your own • Choose wild-caught or local seafood from sustainably managed fisheries • Purchase whole, unprocessed foods • Avoid conventional processed and packaged foods, and choose homemade, local or organic alternatives.

Following the adoption of these motions, the City’s Office of Sustainability and the Environment (OSE) has taken the lead in identifying ways to extend the City’s support for sustainable foods through the City’s procurement efforts and through other means. The OSE is using the Cool Foods Pledge as a tool for educating and engaging city departments and employees, community organizations, and residents. To further this effort the OSE contracted with a consultant, Heather Fenney, to assist in identifying opportunities for the City to increase support for sustainable food. This report lays out the following findings and recommendations: • Documentation of the benefits of supporting sustainable food and a local food system; • A review of programs, policies and practices already in place in Santa Monica that support sustainable food, a local food system, and the goals of the Cool Foods Pledge; • Recommendations for actions by the City and it’s partners to increase purchasing of local, organic and sustainable foods and support for the goals of the Cool Food Pledge; and • Recommended actions for City residents to reduce their carbon footprint.

In compiling the information for this report it evident that Santa Monica is a leader in supporting regional

1 The Cool Foods Campaign. A project of the Center for Food Safety and the CornerStone Campaign. http://coolfoodscampaign.org/ retrieved June 15, 2009

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agriculture and small farmers. Across multiple city departments programs and practices are in place that support food sustainability and the goals of the Cool Foods Pledge - from the cities four weekly farmers’ markets that provides access to a diverse variety of local and organic foods for all residents, to the City sponsored “How to Green Your Garden” workshops that teach Santa Monica gardeners to grow food in a sustainable way.2 Of course, there are opportunities to go further in the city’s efforts. Like the City’s ban on non-recyclable disposable food service containers3, which has been widely implemented by city departments, partner agencies and businesses, a citywide policy requiring the purchase of local, organic and sustainably produced foods could have a similar impact across the City. 4 The City’s efforts would also be strengthened by improved coordination across departments and between programs that deal with food in anyway. A coordinated effort to promote, implement and monitor local, sustainable, and healthy food related activities and initiatives would elevate food sustainability as a priority for the city and its residents, and increase the ability to evaluate progress toward meeting the goals of the Sustainable City Plan.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS: The benefits of local and sustainable

1. What is sustainable food? The complex network of interdependent and linked activities that result in the production and exchange of food to feed a community is referred to as the food system5. It includes the production, storage, transportation, packaging, processing, distribution, and consumption of food, and the management of the waste from all these activities. It impacts nearly all sectors of society, including: public health and nutrition, the environment, energy, the economy, and employment. A food system can be characterized as being local, regional, national, or global. When we talk about sustainable food, we are really talking about food that comes from a sustainable food system. Sustainable can be defined many ways, and there are no legal definitions for sustainable food (like there are for organic). For the purposes of this discussion will use the following definition.

Sustainable food should be produced, processed and traded in ways that: contribute to thriving local economies and sustainable livelihoods; protect the diversity and welfare of both plants and animals (farmed and wild); avoid damaging natural resources and contributing to climate change; provide social benefits, such as good quality food, safe and healthy products, and educational opportunities.1

Because the food system reaches across so many sectors, our food choices and actions to support a more local and sustainable food system can generate significant positive impacts far beyond the farm - for individuals, communities and the planet. The food and agriculture sector is also unique in that by making changes to support a more local and sustainable food system we not only reduce future negative impacts, but we can also mitigate or repair some of the harm that was done in the past. For example, eating organically grown food reduces the use of petroleum-based chemicals and reduces green house gas emissions, while at the same time helping rebuild soil that has been depleted by the use of chemical fertilizers and over farming. In contrast, other efforts toward sustainability, such as expanding the use of solar power, effectively reduce our use of fossil fuels for the future, but do not repair the harm that has already been done by coal powered power plants.

2 http://www.smgov.net/uploadedFiles/Departments/OSE/SLP_Residential2009.pdf?n=4309 3 http://www.smgov.net/Departments/OSE/categories/content.aspx?id=4816 4 The city has defined “local food” as food that is grown in the Southern California. For the purposes of this paper local food refers to food grown by Southern California farmers, as well as food from Southern California processors, distributors and vendors. 5 World Hunger Year, Food Security Learning Center, http://www.whyhunger.org/programs/fslc/topics/local-a-regional-food- systems/introduction.html

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2. If its not sustainable, what is it? Our current global/conventional food system is unsustainable. • It is inefficient and heavily dependent on fossil fuels. The average food item travels at least 1500 miles before it reaches your plate. The production of one food calorie can take up to eight calories of energy to produce. Growing, processing, and delivering the food consumed by a family of four each year requires more than 930 gallons of gasoline, or about the same amount used to fuel the family's cars.67 • It is a driving force behind rising rates of obesity, diet related diseases and health care costs. U.S. Government subsidies have lead to the mass production of grains like corn, wheat and soy, that are the central ingredients in most highly processed junk and fast foods. These inexpensive low-nutrient foods have flooded the marketplace and are a driving force behind our rising rates of obesity and diet related diseases. Between 1985 and 2000 the real price of fruits and vegetables increased 40%, while the real price of soft drinks and other sugary, high-fat foods decreased 20%. The health impacts of this food system weigh heaviest on children, lower income people and communities of color who are the most targeted by fast and junk food. • It is heavily industrialized and concentrated. Fewer then 10 industrial corporate players dominate every sector of the food system, from food processing to retail. Five corporations control 85% of the US beef processing market. The top 10 food retailers account for 40% of all groceries sold in the US. Wal-Mart accounts for 10% alone, making it the largest food retailer, and the largest corporation, in the world.8 This highly industrialized and concentrated system shuts out small farmers and independent locally owned food-based business and drives them out of business. It compromises food safety, limits our ability to control what is in our food and how it is produced, and pushes the majority of uniquely regional, seasonal and cultural foods out of the marketplace. • It is one of the greatest polluters on the planet. The food and agriculture sector is estimated to contribute as much as 30% to total global green house gas emissions9. Approximately 58% of these emissions come form the farm – from the use of fertilizers and machinery, to manure from livestock. Worldwide, livestock emits 18% of greenhouse gases, more than the transportation sector. The United Nations identified animal production as one of the “most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems”. 10 In 2007, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reported that livestock manure is responsible for over 50 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions, mostly in the form of methane, which has a 23 times greater warming effect than carbon dioxide, and nitrous oxide, which has 296 times greater effect. Grain production in the US (approximately half of which goes to feed livestock) uses nearly 30 billion pounds of fertilizers and near 340 million pounds of pesticides each year. These chemicals release potent green house gas emissions, pollute our land air and water, kill wildlife and require huge amounts of energy in their production. • It exploits workers and spreads poverty. Like other industries, the global food system scours the planet for cheap labor, cheap resources and profitable markets. This practice pushes down global commodity prices, causing many farmers to sell products far below their cost of production. In 2009 crisis hotlines for agricultural workers in Colorado reported a 20% spike in calls from farmers in debt and at risk of losing their farms and more.11 Between 1993 and 2003, as many as 100,000 indebted Indian farmers took their own lives.12 Labor is often the only asset immigrants and people

6 Brown, K.H., & Jameton, A.L. (2000). Public health implications of urban agriculture. Journal of Public Health Policy, 21(1), 20-39. 7 Starrs, T. 2005. "The SUV in the Pantry." Sustainable Business. www.sustainablebusiness.com/features/feature_template.cfm?ID=1275 (Accessed: June 2, 2009). 8 ETC Group (2008). Who One’s Nature: Corporate Power and the Final Frontier in the Commodification of Life. http://www.etcgroup.org/upload/publication/pdf_file/707 (Accessed: June 29, 2009). 9 El-Hage Scialabba, N. and C. Hattam (eds.). 2002. Organic Agriculture, Environment, and Food Security. Rome: UN Food and Agriculture Organization (Environment and Natural Resources Service, Sustainable Development Department). http://www.fao.org/docrep/005/Y4137E/y4137e02b.htm (Accessed: June 22, 2009). 10 Steinfeld H, Gerber P, Wassenaar T, Castel V, Rosales M, de Haan, C (2006). Livestock’s Long Shadow- Environmental Issues and Options. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 11 Moffeit, Miles (2009). Denver Post. “Suicide rates show more Colorado farmers losing hope”. http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_12506134 (Accessed: July 6, 2009). 12 Mishra, Pankaj, “The Myth of the New India” (The New York Times; 6 July, 2006). http://www.foodfirst.org/node/1626/print (Accessed: July 6, 2009).

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in poverty possess. Agricultural and food system workers often compromise their health and safety to compete for low wage jobs.

3. How does a sustainable and local food system address climate change and benefit the environment? • Local food that is produced, processed and distributed near where it is consumed travels less - and thus releases less pollution - than non-local food. According to a WorldWatch Institute study, a typical meal bought from a conventional supermarket chain consumes four to 17 times more petroleum for transport than the same meal using local ingredients.13 • Organic and sustainable farming practices use dramatically lower rates of per acre fossil fuel inputs (such as fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, fungicides and diesel powered machinery) than conventional systems, which in turn translates into much lower carbon emissions, as much as 48 to 66 percent lower, according to one study by the Food and Agriculture Organization.14 • Local and sustainably produced food uses less energy. A recent academic report estimated that “organic, sustainable agriculture that localizes food systems has the potential to mitigate nearly thirty percent of global greenhouse gas emissions and save one-sixth of global energy use.” 15 • A local and sustainable food system reduces waste. Wastes at each point of the food system use up local landfill capacity, or if incinerated, increase air pollution. One study showed that nearly 30 percent of all solid wastes are related to food consumption, with half of that being food packaging.

3. How does a sustainable and local food system benefit our health? • A local food system encourages people to grow food for themselves. Home food production can save families from $500 to $1,200 a year and increases consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables.16 • Organic and sustainably produced food reduces exposure to pesticide, growth hormones, and antibiotic and other drug residues. Exposure to drug residues in food has been linked to growing antibiotic resistance and high levels of hormones in humans. Research is also finding that organic and sustainably produced foods are higher in nutritional value. • A local food system can provide communities with wide variety of high quality and culturally appropriate foods. Fast and junk foods dominate many people’s diets because the global/conventional food system has made it cheap and abundant. These foods have replaced the cultural and home cooked meals of the past. The global/conventional system focuses on growing a relatively small number of crops for shelf life and durability. A local system can provide communities with high quality, competitively priced seasonal foods, and respond to the food cultures and traditions within a community. • Eating locally produced food can also reduce asthma and environmental allergy rates, because children are able to consume manageable amounts of local pollen and develop immunities.

4. How does a sustainable and local food system benefit our community and the economy? Food production, processing, distribution and retail create jobs and economic activity. When these food system activities take place within a community (or within our region) these jobs and our food dollars stay in our community and region. Studies from University of Iowa, Oklahoma City and others have shown that $1 dollar spent on local food can generate $2 or more in local economic activity. Increasing local tax revenue, stabilizing local businesses and creating local jobs. • Food system localization can create high quality green collar jobs in farming, food processing, and distribution. These jobs are meaningful, stable (because the food sector is rapidly expanding), and don’t require applicants to have an advanced degree to be eligible for employment, which means

13 Hal Walweil, "Home Grown: The Case for Local Food In A Global Food Market" 2002, Worldwatch Institute. 14 El-Hage Scialabba, N. and C. Hattam (eds.). 2002. Organic Agriculture, Environment, and Food Security. Rome: UN Food and Agriculture Organization (Environment and Natural Resources Service, Sustainable Development Department). http://www.fao.org/docrep/005/Y4137E/y4137e02b.htm (Accessed: June 22, 2009). 15 El-Hage Scialabba, N. and C. Hattam (eds.). 2002. Organic Agriculture, Environment, and Food Security. Rome: UN Food and Agriculture Organization (Environment and Natural Resources Service, Sustainable Development Department) 16 Carter, Anne et al., Prepared for the North American Urban Agriculture Committee of the Community Food Security Coalition.

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they are more accessible to people who have only completed a high school diploma or less and who are more likely to be poor. • Food localization can provide significant community economic development opportunities. According to a study by the state’s Buy California initiative, a 10% shift in annual purchases to California grown agricultural products, or about $85 dollars per year at the retail level would generate $848 million in increased revenues to farms, 3,478 more jobs in the agricultural industry, 1.38 billion in communities across the state and about $188 million in taxes for local and state governments.17

EXISTING SANTA MONICA PROGRAMS SUPPORTING a SUSTAINABLE and LOCAL FOOD SYSTEM

Program Description Sustainable City One of the Environmental and Public Health goals of the SCP is to “Increase Plan (SCP) consumption of fresh, locally produced, organic produce to promote public health and to minimize resource consumption and negative environmental impacts.” The plan identifies indicators to track progress; such as the amount of local/organic produce purchased by city facilities, restaurants and residents, and sold at the Cities farmers’ markets. The annual report card only reports the number of farmers’ market shoppers. http://www.smgov.net/Departments/OSE/categories/sustainability.aspx City of Santa The Economic Development Division of the Housing and Economic Development Monica Farmers Department operates 4 weekly farmers markets that sell organic and sustainably Markets produced foods from local small farmers and food-based businesses. The program manager estimates that approximately 24% of market sales are to restaurants and local produce companies. The SMMUSD also purchases produce from the farmers market. The 2008 Sustainable City Report Card estimated that 1 million people shopped at the farmers markets annually. http://www01.smgov.net/farmers_market SMMUSD The SM/MUSD has implemented a Farmers Market Salad Bar Program that offers every Farmers Market student a daily salad option at lunch that features fresh, seasonal, locally grown produce Salad Bar purchased directly from farmers at the Santa Monica Farmers’ Markets. During the Program 2008/09 school year the district purchased $51,000 from the city’s farmers markets for the school lunch program. The district spent an additional $40,000 on produce for the federally funded fruit and vegetable snack program. Each elementary school also has a school garden and food that is grown is incorporated into the salad bar when possible.18 http://www.smmusd.org/foodservices/farmers_market.html Healthy Foods The HFI is implemented by the Economic Development Division of the HEDD when Initiative (HFI) negotiating leases for City owned properties for food concessionaires. The HFI requires that they “exercise best efforts to promote healthy and sustainable food practices on the Premises, including the promotion of the importance of healthy, locally and sustainably grown, organic foods from California, and the use of sustainable practices, organic ingredients, and recycled products to the extent feasibly practicable.” This language is included in the lease for the café at the main library, and in the RFP recently released for the operation of the civic center, among others. Neither the EDD, nor the City Clerk’s Office could identify the origin of the initiative. No other agency or department appears to be aware of or implementing the HFI.

17 Tootelian, Dennis H (2003/, The Economic impact of shifts in consumer purchasing patterns to more California grown agricultural commodities. 18 City funding for the school garden program will end in the coming school year. District representatives are concerned that the program will not succeed without the City’s financial support.

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Green Your Workshops offered by the Office of Sustainability and the Environment, Watershed Garden Training Management Section on how to grow a sustainable garden for home gardeners (food and Series landscape). Series of 10 - 12 workshops cover a range of sustainability topics, including: drip irrigation, plant selection, composting, soil building, pest control, etc. Held at SMC in 2009 and costs $35. Will be hosted at SM libraries in 2010 and free. http://www.smgov.net/uploadedFiles/Departments/OSE/SLP_Residential2009.pdf?n=4309 Community The city Department of Community and Cultural Services maintains 3 community Gardens gardens with 117 plots/gardeners. There are over 200 people on the wait list for a community garden plot with an approx 5 yr wait. They estimate food at 60% of garden production (no annual tracking/surveying is done). Gardeners are encouraged to donate excess produce to the meals on wheels program. Regulations limit the use of fertilizers, only allow botanical insecticides and restrict herbicides and planting of genetically engineered plants. http://www01.smgov.net/comm_progs/gardens/index.htm Garden In response to the high number of residents on the community garden wait list and the Partnership limited availability of public land available to expand community gardens, the Registry community garden advisory committee is creating the Garden Partnership Registry to pair perspective gardeners with property owners. The city will maintain the list of gardeners and property owners and will pair them up as appropriate. Gardeners and property owners will negotiate their own terms of use. A website has been set up by people looking to connect this way, the City could partner with this site to automate their match making service http://www.Sharingbackyards.com. Non-recycle In 2007 the City of Santa Monica passed a ban on all non-recyclable plastic food to-go Food Service containers for all food service providers in the city. The ban took effect on February 9, Container Ban 2008. The ban is implemented across city departments and agencies (including SMMUSD and the Senior Nutrition Program), and local food businesses. http://www.smgov.net/Departments/OSE/categories/content.aspx?id=4816 Sustainable Sustainable Works (SW) partners with the City of Santa Monica to promote the concept Works: of sustainability and greening to city residents and businesses. The residential program Residential and offers a series of sustainable living workshops that cover sustainable food and food Business system issues. The business program offers technical assistance to city businesses to Greening increase their resource efficiency and "green their bottom line". As appropriate this Programs assistance includes food procurement, but program staff indicates that it could be strengthened and more proactive. http://www.sustainableworks.org Green Business The Green Business Certification program is a way to recognize businesses that are Certification adopting green practices that reduce environmental impact. The certification checklist Program includes a qualifications pertaining to purchasing local, organic, and fair trade foods and sustainable fish. The checklist is reviewed and updated in the fall/winter of each year. http://smgbc.org Green Office The Office of Sustainability and the Environment maintains a green office guide for city Guide departments and others to use when making purchasing decisions. The guide directs businesses to purchase equipment and supplies that are energy efficient and reduce negative impacts on the environment. The guide includes recommendations for purchasing local and organic food from the farmers market, but could go further toward promoting local/sustainable food system procurement and linking to resources. http://www01.smgov.net/epd/SP/greenoffice/main/index.html

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