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Michigan summit’s hatching plan to provide ‘green’ food

By SHELLY STRAUTZ-SPRINGBORN
Michigan Correspondent

LANSING, Mich. — A group of food system stakeholders are working on a plan that aims to build on the state’s agricultural assets while developing a sustainable economy for the 21st century in Michigan.
Earlier this year, the C.S. Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems at Michigan State University (MSU), the Food Bank Council of Michigan and the Michigan Food Policy Council, with primary support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, conducted the Michigan Good Food Summit to explore opportunities to advance good food in Michigan.

The summit was a culmination of work that began last September when workgroups began examining Michigan’s current situation and developing future opportunities to advance good food in Michigan in five arenas – youth engagement in community food, healthy food access for families and communities, farmer viability and development, institutional food purchasing and food system infrastructure. Input from 300 summit participants as well as information gathered from others has been considered while refining priorities into the Michigan Good Food Charter, which is policy that supports Good Food in Michigan – food that is healthy, green, fair and affordable.

Dr. Mike Hamm, C.S. Mott Professor of Sustainable Agriculture at MSU, said the work being done will enhance the state’s agricultural industry and offer fresh foods as accessible and affordable options for the state’s citizens.

“When you look historically at Michigan agriculture, the market we have gone after has been fairly narrow. Most fruit and vegetables go to the processing sector,” Hamm said. “As markets have differentiated across the country – new markets in pasture-based products, local and direct marketing – Michigan has been a little slow in diversifying its markets.

“Michigan has a great diversity of agriculture and the ability to produce a broad array of products,” Hamm said. “There is a huge opportunity in Michigan to greatly diversify the market niches we go after and the income streams.

In addition to rich, abundant farmland, Hamm said the state also has a large population without access to fresh foods. According to the Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA), 59 percent of the state’s population lives in areas that are underserved for access to healthy food.

“Most of what they have access to is processed food – food that is high in calories,” Hamm said. “We realize that there are opportunities to expand that accessibility. From a farming standpoint, that is a market opportunity.

“There’s a strong connection to how we can work to improve the public health of the population and how we can work to build a healthy economy,” Hamm said.

According to a recent study, the typical Michigan citizen eats about half the fruits and vegetables that are recommended by public health, according to Hamm.

“If closing about 10 to 15 percent of that public health gap came from produce grown in Michigan, we would have to produce about 37,000 more acres of fruits and vegetables,” Hamm said.

“That would generate about $200 million in the pockets of farmers, 2,000 off-farm jobs and 6,000 on-farm jobs,” he explained.
“What if people did actually consume the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables and it all came from Michigan? We have drawn a direct link between what we do as consumers from a public health standpoint, and our ability to impact Michigan’s economy.
“We are struggling to figure out what is the economy for the 21st century in Michigan,” Hamm said. “Based on natural resources, the landscape, the land and the products we can produce, food and agriculture is a critically important part of the sustainable economy in Michigan.”

MDA Director Don Koivisto and Michigan Department of Community Health Director Janet Olszewski support the effort.

“With an increasing consumer demand for local food and agriculture products, there are tremendous opportunities to create new jobs and spur economic growth in Michigan,” Koivisto said in a news release.

“Agriculture has long been one of the state’s economic workhorses. MDA is proud to help identify and catalyze additional opportunities to unlock its economic potential.

“Access to fresh and healthy food is essential to the good health of every Michigan citizen,” said Olszewski. “We must do everything possible to give our families and communities affordable access to healthy food. Good health is the key factor for healthy learning and a healthy economy. We need to work together with our youth and our farmers to assure both.”

The Michigan Good Food Charter is available for review and public comment at www.michiganfood.org through April 23.

4/14/2010