QUESTIONNAIRE FOR INTERTRIBAL NATIONAL FOOD SYSTEMS SCAN

Transcription

1 QUESTIONNAIRE FOR INTERTRIBAL NATIONAL FOOD SYSTEMS SCAN Dear Tribal leaders, Friends and Colleagues, The Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative at the University of Arkansas School of Law is embarking on an intertribal national scan of community-based food system innovations. Our purpose is to compile a scan of the most innovative and promising projects and programs throughout Indian Country in a report that will be available for public distribution in the spring of We are hopeful that this document will provide the benefit of informing food systems planning throughout the US and in Indian Country and provide a record of the great efforts that are helping move the needle toward a more sustainable and just food system. The first phase of our Intertribal National Food Systems Scan will begin with the attached survey. We would like your input on the most promising food system innovations in a community, region or within a tribe that you are aware of through your work. That promising work could be your own! If you know of others, we would appreciate that information as well. In appreciation of your contributions, we will send you a copy of our final report in advance of its public release. We hope that a scan of this nature can also assist tribal governments, tribal nonprofits, and others involved in food systems work to learn from each other and have a working living document that will enable more information to be shared between tribes more broadly. There are exciting things happening in Indian Country food systems; sharing with one another is a means to more broadly support one another and contribute to the intertribal conversations that will help Indian Country food systems grow. We are focusing our request for information on community-based projects and programs that represent a significant shift from the way food is primarily grown, produced, distributed or consumed. We seek to learn of projects and programs that are innovative and novel, yet sufficiently established for us to collect credible data and tell a compelling story about their successes for others to learn from. By innovative, we mean novel models or practices that empower and engage food businesses and organizations to change their practices and also provide food that is healthy, fair and green to communities. We also want to capture those models or practices that are returning us to our traditional food systems, or are embarking on sharing our foods with the world. We are seeking information of a more general nature about how projects are formed and supported, general focus, and lessons learned regarding food project innovation and success. We are not seeking specific information about traditional foods, cultural practices or sacred issues. We will not seek to evaluate programs; instead we are seeking to surface programs that are of promise and that can serve all tribes in planning effectively for food systems activities unique to their people and places. If you have received this questionnaire and do not wish to discuss the very general topics we are seeking information on, we respect that decision. In addition to this survey, the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative will conduct an extensive review of the literature, media, press releases and other information released by tribes, tribal organizations, nonprofits and individuals to supplement the primary information provided by survey respondents. We cannot stress how valuable your input is to this process. Your contribution to the questionnaire allows us to solicit your recommendations for projects you think we should know about, or provide information about your own work that you wish to share with others. While we could have conducted this scan using only third party sources of information, we felt that such a scan would be incomplete without asking for your input and valuable knowledge. We do not intend to draw any conclusions after this questionnaire; our only purpose is to offer up a broad scan of the work being done in the hopes that others interested in similar work can benefit and grow stronger in their own

2 food systems activities. We also believe that each tribe can use the product of this questionnaire and the publication that will come later to ask their own questions and inform their own internal processes to support local food systems. National surveys can only go so far. They cannot be comprehensive, by their very nature, and they seldom provide the level of information and local data needed to inform local work. But this one of a kind effort can serve as an additional resource in each tribe s efforts to build local food systems. That function alone makes the process worthwhile. Finally, as tribes begin to perform their own internal tribal food and food systems surveys, this glimpse of other promising work can inform the content of those internal surveys and act as another tool to contemplate their own path forward. Types of projects and programs we are looking for include but are not limited to the following: Community-based and community-supported Programs that represent a significant shift from the way food is primarily grown, produced, distributed or consumed An innovation along any of the segments of the food system or food supply chain: production, manufacturing, distribution, retail and consumption On-the-ground projects Local policy development projects Local financing and support mechanisms, that bring healthy food to an area that was formerly without A project and program that builds community resilience, local capacity, local economies and/or sustainable wealth. We would appreciate your help as a leader in the national movement toward a more sustainable and just food system. Please take a few moments to complete this survey. Participation is voluntary. Refusal to participate will not involve any penalty or loss of benefits and there are no risks to completing the survey. We expect that it should take about minutes to complete from start to finish, depending on the number of innovations you recommend. We encourage you to recommend more than one organization or project and to forward this survey to others who you think should fill it out. If you wish to complete the survey regarding your own project, please do so. This project has been generously funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The Wallace Center at Winrock International, in partnership with Changing Tastes and Common Market, are undertaking a similar scan at the national level. Please note that individual responses will be confidential to the extent allowed by law and university policy; the confidential results of the survey will be incorporated into a report provided to the W. K. Kellogg Foundation for further dissemination. All those participating will receive a copy of the final report before it is released publicly. If you have questions or concerns about this study, you may contact Janie Simms Hipp at or by at jhipp@uark.edu or Erin Shirl at or by at eshirl@uark.edu. For questions or concerns about your rights as a research participant, please contact Ro Windwalker, the University s IRB Coordinator, at (479) or by at irb@uark.edu. Thank you, Janie Simms Hipp and Erin Shirl, Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative at the University of Arkansas School of Law 2

3 Part 1 Your Name, Contact Information and Organization 1) What is your name: a) First name: b) Last name: 2) Please provide your address and phone number so we may follow up as needed: a) _ b) Phone: 3) What is the name of your organization or tribe: 4) Type of organization: a) Tribe/tribal government or tribal organization b) Tribal community-based organization or tribal nonprofit organization c) Foundation d) Tribal College or University e) Other University or other research institute f) Other non-tribal nonprofit (Regional or national non-profit) g) Local, regional, state or federal government agency h) Foodservice i) Food retail j) Food production or distribution k) Feeding program l) Consultancy m) Other for-profit business (please specify) n) Other (please specify) 5) Where is your organization located (tribe, city, state): a) Tribe: b) City: c) State: Part 2 Description of the Innovative Project/Program 6) What is the name of the project/program: 7) Project/program contact information (name, address, phone): 3

4 a) Name: b) Website: c) d) Phone: 8) Location of project/program (city, state): a) City: b) State: 9) What is your relationship to project/program (check all that apply): a) Tribal elected leader, council member or tribal government employee b) Part of tribal, local, regional or national network c) Primary funder d) Partner in-kind or direct funder e) Supporter provide in-kind and other support when asked f) No connection just aware of it g) Founder h) Other senior executive or manager i) Other employee of organization j) Board member k) Other (please specify): 10) What type of organization manages/operates the project/program (check all that apply): a) Tribe or tribal organization b) Community-based organization c) Other non-profit organization d) Cooperative e) For profit business f) Academic institution or program, including tribal college or university g) Government agency or program h) Other business partnership or syndicate (please specify) i) Other (please specify): 11) Which part of the food chain does the project/program address (check all that apply): a) Food production on tribal reservations or tribal lands b) Traditional foods c) Rural agriculture d) Urban agriculture e) Community hunger, feeding program or commodity food distribution program f) Food processing g) Food distribution into commercial markets h) Food business incubation i) Food market/grocery 4

5 j) Restaurant/foodservice k) Direct to consumer marketing l) Food waste prevention or management m) Other (please specify): 12) What is the approximate age of the project/program: a) More than five years b) Three to five years c) One to three years d) Less than one year e) Don t know 13) How is the project/program primarily funded (check all that apply): a) Self-sustaining from revenue b) Funded by donations from tribe or tribal organizations c) Funded by donations from community d) Funded by grants from community-based philanthropies e) Funded by grants or donations from national philanthropies or donors f) Funded by grants from federal agencies g) Don t know 14) Please provide a brief description of the project/program that you are nominating (150 character limit): Part 3 Project or Program Characteristics 15) How is the project/program community based or led (check all that apply): a) It was created to respond to a challenge or need in the tribal community b) It was created by tribal community residents or leaders c) It was the result of tribal community-led organizing and activism d) It is currently led by tribal community residents or leaders e) It is currently funded mostly by the tribal community (tribal government or tribal organizations) f) It builds wealth within the community (such as physical infrastructure, creation of new, livable wage jobs to community members, etc.) g) It develops the skillset of and opportunities for tribal community members h) It increases access to healthy food in its tribal community i) Don t know j) Other (please explain) 16) What are the key attributes of the project/program that are most innovative (check all that apply): a) Its focus and foundation on traditional foods and culture 5

6 b) The design of its theory of change or business model c) Its execution or implementation d) Its leadership e) The combination of programmatic elements it includes f) The diversity of its employees/participants g) The diversity of its partners h) Its ownership/management structure i) How it is financed j) Its ability to provide healthier food to more people k) Location l) Its marketing and outreach m) Its use of technology n) Its social, economic and environmental sustainability 17) If desired, briefly elaborate on the areas of innovation identified above (150 words or less). If not, skip to question ) What have been its primary impacts on the local food system to date (place in rank order): a) Has provided important support for traditional foods availability in tribal communities b) Creates good jobs and stable wages c) Improves viability of local tribal agriculture d) Provides ownership opportunities for workers or community members e) Generates revenues for local economy f) Has become a self-sustaining business over time g) Builds community assets h) Expands access to healthy foods i) Improves community sustainability/resilience j) Has changed local policy k) Educates community members l) Serves as a regional or national model in the food sector m) Other (please specify if you don t know, please state): 19) How is the project scalable or replicable: a) It is based on a project or program from another community b) The model can be easily replicated in other tribal communities c) The program or project provides advice on starting a similar program to organizations in other communities d) Its activities are designed to grow to have regional or national intertribal impact e) None of the above f) Don t know 20) What are its most successful characteristics/elements (check all that apply): a) Its focus on tradition and culture b) The design of its theory of change or business model c) Its execution or implementation 6

7 d) Its leadership e) Strength and clarity of its goals f) The combination of elements it includes g) The diversity of its employees/participants h) The diversity of its partners i) Its ownership structure j) How it is financed or funded k) Its outcomes to date in providing healthier food to more people l) Location m) Its marketing and outreach n) Its use of technology o) Its social, economic and environmental sustainability p) Other (please specify - if you don t know, please state): 21) Does the project involve (check all that apply): a. Youth b. Elders c. Veterans d. Women s groups within the tribe e. Leadership groups within the tribe f. Multiple tribes g. Non-tribal organizations or individuals h. Youth agricultural organizations such as 4-H or FFA i. Youth leadership organizations such as UNITY j. Other (please describe): Part 4 - Wrap-up 22) Who else should we send the survey to (name, organization and address): a) Name: b) Organization: c) address: 23) Is there anything else you would like to add: Thank you so much for your time and effort. If you have any questions, please contact: Janie Simms Hipp, Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative, University of Arkansas School of Law, 1045 W. Maple, Fayetteville, AR 72701; jhipp@uark.edu; Erin Shirl, Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative, University of Arkansas School of Law, 1045 W. Maple, Fayetteville, AR 72701; eshirl@uark.edu;