We want to thank Becca Klein from NSAC member the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future (CLF) for her contribution. Becca is the Health & Agriculture Policy Project Director at CLF, working to bring a health perspective to federal food and agriculture policy.
Believe it or not, just because I work for an academic institution does not mean that I relish reading academic reports. Usually, the monotonous, highly annotated text tends to make the eyelids of even the nerdy-est of nerds grow heavy. And, yet, every once in a while, a bit of magic pops off the page, and with it the eyelids fly open. Such was the case when I read the Institute of Medicine’s report Accelerating Progress in Obesity Prevention: Solving the Weight of the Nation.
Okay, okay. I have not read all 462 pages of the report, but what I did read was profound. No, the ideas were not new, but what I was reading was a succinct summary—by one of the most respected research bodies in the nation—of connections between agriculture policy and health, and steps we need to take immediately in order to assure improved public health. This is not the first time that the IOM or another official body has called attention to these links, but it is the first time that such an urgency has been placed on the call to better understand and address the connections.
I include here, for your enjoyment, said recommendations. They are specific, they are doable, and we need to make sure we do not let this farm bill cycle slip by without including as many of them as possible in the legislation. I challenge you to read them carefully. Think of them like the yoga sutras, pearls of wisdom that need to be unpacked, mulled over, and then acted upon. (And, if you need some ideas of how to act, continue reading below.)
1. “[T]he President appointing a Task Force on Agriculture Policy and Obesity Prevention to evaluate the evidence on the relationship between agriculture policies and the American diet, and to develop recommendations for policy options and future policy-related research, specifically on the impact of farm subsidies and the management of commodities on food prices, access, affordability, and consumption;
2. “Congress and the Administration establishing a process by which federal food, agriculture, and health officials would review and report on the possible implications of U.S. agriculture policy for obesity prevention to ensure that this issue will be fully taken into account when policy makers consider the Farm Bill;
3. “Congress and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) developing policy options for promoting increased domestic production of foods recommended for a healthy diet that are generally underconsumed, including fruits and vegetables and dairy products, by reviewing incentives and disincentives that exist in current policy;
4. “As part of its agricultural research agenda, USDA exploring the optimal mix of crops and farming methods for meeting the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans, including an examination of the possible impact of smaller-scale agriculture, of regional agricultural product distribution chains, and of various agricultural models from small to large scale, as well as other efforts to ensure a sustainable, sufficient, and affordable supply of fresh fruits and vegetables; and
5. “Congress and the Administration ensuring that there is adequate public funding for agricultural research and extension so that the research agenda can include a greater focus on supporting the production of foods Americans need to consume in greater quantities according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.” (p. 208)
NSAC, CLF, and partners have been working on specific priorities for the 2012 Farm Bill, many of which align with the five potential actions suggested by the IOM, including urging increased cross-agency collaboration around the health impacts of food and agriculture policy and enabling USDA to assess the health impacts of federal food and agriculture policies. In addition to the assessment, many of the policies and programs that are part of the Local Farms, Food, and Jobs Act and the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act address the recommendations listed in #4.
Research has also been a priority for NSAC, CLF, and others in the health community. While often dry in its presentation, research is one of the most powerful tools for shifting policy—if it is carried off the page and into action. As the IOM report states, “there are real opportunities to adjust farm policies in meaningful ways to better support the nation’s changing food and nutrition needs” (p.209).
The IOM recommendations are an affirmation efforts CLF, NSAC, and other partners have been working together on for several years. In January 2011, we released the report, “Mapping a Sustainable Agriculture & Public Health Alliance for the 2012 Farm Bill,” which outlined shared values and potential areas of policy collaboration. One of these areas was a public health title for the farm bill. Possible provisions of such a title included:
- A Congressional Statement of Policy in support of linking public policy and support for food, agriculture, conservation, and rural development to specific public health outcomes.
- A biennial “status report” to Congress on progress in achieving public health outcomes through food and agricultural policies and programs.
- A regulatory impact statement requirement on any USDA regulation deemed to have a significant potential impact on public health.
- A policy advisory committee to the Secretary made up of stakeholder and professional representatives of the public health community.
Are your eyes still open? If so, spread the word. The IOM agrees, agriculture and health are linked, and it’s time to ensure our agriculture policies support our nation’s health.
