Organization for Competitive Markets

Food Policy Retreat - Abstract

 

Summary: The Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM) will host the Food Policy Retreat as a mechanism to bring diverse thinkers together to facilitate discussion of problems, solutions, and the multiple factors necessary to achieve a better alternative to a corporate dominated food system.  One or several white papers will be generated to document these problems and propose solutions within a roughly common paradigm.  These papers will be publicized and otherwise utilized by OCM and other stakeholders to educate policy makers and the general public while laying the framework for further literature and debate.

 

Stage One of Two Stages:  This Food Policy Retreat is envisioned as one of two stages.  This first stage will address a whole food system approach which is created within the agricultural and rural community but relevant to those outside it.  The second stage will include individuals and organizations outside the agricultural and rural community to seek common ground for purposes of public education, advocacy and policy influence.

 

Background:  The structure of the American food system has consolidated to the point where three corporate clusters control most processing, merchandizing, warehousing and distribution. The dominant firms in the retail food sector have doubled their market share in the last five years.  The long decline of the family farm structure of production agriculture has accelerated to the point where its end is near.  Corporate agriculture controls the bulk of farm production through mechanisms such as ownership, contracts or other arrangements.

 

This industry structure is draining monetary and human resources out of rural communities.  Main streets, churches and community institutions are withering away.  At the same time, corporate concentration has significantly increased environmental problems.  Large production units produce air and water pollution due to the inherent difficulties of managing waste from huge production units.  Soil loss and chemical use increase because corporate-style management from afar includes no value of stewardship in the race for profit.

 

The drive for low cost inputs in integrated agribusiness food chains is now moving production overseas.  Just as we import our oil resources to satisfy this nation's energy needs, we will import most food from cheap labor countries where workers are exploited and heavy chemical use is unregulated.  The nation's food security is placed at risk.  Problems with food safety also increase due to industrial methods imposed on previously less adulterated food and because problems in a single, huge plant can affect many in a wide geographical area.

 

As agribusinesses become less able to increase profit through squeezing farmers, they will have the industry structure in place to methodically increase consumer food prices.  While evidence exists to show that consumers currently pay more for their food than they would in a competitive food system, the framework for much larger monopolistic price increases is being rapidly put in place.

Need:  A major common interest between farmers, rural citizens and consumers is food.  As national farm and food policy promotes a monopolistic food system while paying lip service to the concerns of family farmers, consumers and rural communities, a comprehensive new paradigm is needed.  Dominant thought in agriculture holds that bigger is better and more efficient.  This conceptual stagnation is partly due to the influence of the well funded and well organized pro-big agribusiness movement.

 

Academics and other thinkers from diverse disciplines relevant to food have persuasively documented both problems and solutions to this unsustainable industry structure.  However, due to disciplinary barriers and lack of funding, many of these talented people have not met to discuss, plan and coordinate a whole food systems approach.  Such an approach must touch on the comprehensive problems of concentration from the beginning to the end of the food chain.  It also must include directly relevant issues of food security, food safety, rural community viability, conservation, and globalization. 

 

Goals:  The OCM Food Policy Retreat will gather thinkers from diverse food-relevant disciplines to analyze the current food system, propose a comprehensive approach to solving problems, and generate white papers to document both problems and solutions within that comprehensive approach.  With the goal of open and competitive agricultural markets for family-style farms and ranches in mind, the group will consider:

 

1.                  Food security;

2.                  Food safety;

3.                  Hunger;

4.                  Nutrition;

5.                  Rural community viability;

6.                  International trade;

7.                  Environment;

8.                  Consumer interests;

9.                  Local and regional food systems; and

10.              Other topics determined by the group.

 

            The gathering itself, and the resulting documentation of problems and solutions, will be utilized to:

 

1.                  Educate policy makers and the general public;

2.                  Generate ongoing collaboration and networking between participants;

3.                  Serve as a basis for further academic and nonacademic writings;

4.                  Crystallize thoughts and ideas within the food and farm community; and

5.                  Build cooperation with stakeholders and groups outside the agricultural community

 

Participants:  We believe that the ideal number of participants is between ten and seventeen.  With that goal in mind, the following people will be invited:

 

1.                  Dr. Mike Duffy, Iowa State Univ.

2.                  Dr. William Heffernan, Univ. of Missouri

3.                  Dr. Robert Taylor, Auburn Univ.

4.                  Dr. Daryl Ray, Univ. of Tennessee

5.                  Dr. Jon Lauck, Univ. of Minnesota (student)

6.                  William Greider, author

7.                  Dr. John Connor, Purdue University

8.                  Dr. Bruce Marion, University of Wisconsin

9.                  Dr. Ron Cotteril, University of Connecticut

10.              Mark Ritchie, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy

11.              Neil Hamilton, Drake University

12.              Dr. Dick Levins, University of Minnesota

13.              Dr. Sandra Bati, Michigan State University

14.              Dr. John Ikerd, University of Missouri

15.              Mark Winne, Hartford Food System

16.              Dr. Stewart Smith, University of Maine

17.              Janie Hipp, Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture

18.              Dr. John Connor, Purdue Univ.

19.              Art Yeager, Consumer Federation of America

20.              Neil Harl, Iowa State Univ.

21.              Dr. Laura DeLind, Michigan State Univ.

22.              Dr. Cornelia Butler Flora, Iowa State Univ.

23.              Dr. Mary Summers, Yale Univ.

24.              Rick Welch, Henry A. Wallace Inst. for Alternative Agriculture

25.              Dr. William Weida, Colorado College

26.              Bro. David Andrews, Nat'l Catholic Rural Life Conf.

27.              Hope Schand, Rural Advancement Foundation Int'l

 

Additionally, at least six OCM members would attend and facilitate the proceedings.

 

Means: OCM will hold the Food Policy Retreat in Kansas City, Missouri on April 29 to May 1, 2000 at the Presbyterian Center.  OCM will provide the organization and coordination.

 

Discussion will be facilitated to comprehensively analyze the problems of and solutions to a corporate dominated food system with the above mentioned concerns as parameters.  Discussion will then proceed to the best way to provide renewed documentation, through one or more white papers, in a coordinated, grounded and persuasive manner.  Participants will consider mechanisms and approaches for including individuals and institutions outside the agriculture community, such as consumer and conservation groups, for future collaboration. 

 

Efforts will be made to publicize the results of the Food Policy Retreat and empower others to utilize the resulting documentation for advocacy, educational or policy making purposes, as well as further research.  Further, plans will be made to strengthen, widen and deepen the collaboration through formal and informal means in the future.