Whats a CFA or Community Food Assessment

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Whats a CFA or Community Food Assessment?

• August 3, 2007
• Colleen Donovan
• Pacific Northwest Region
• Ellensburg, WA

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Community Food Assessments are a strategy to
help build Community Food Security and to
create positive change.
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Community Food Security goals include

• All people, at all times have access to safe,
  nutritious, affordable, adequate, culturally
  appropriate food
• People can get their food from non-emergency
  sources
• Food is produced, processed and distributed in
  ways that honor and preserve the environment and
  the workers who bring it to our tables and the
  marketplace

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Community Development Objectives
Food System Activities
CFS
Community Food System Participants
Strategies for Community Change
Community Food Assessment
Community Food System Participants
Neighborhood, city, or regional context
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Definition?

• A Community Food Assessment is a collaborative
  and participatory process that systematically
  examines a broad range of community food issues
  and assets, so as to inform change actions to
  make the community more food secure.

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Another definition

• A Community Food Assessment (CFA) is a powerful
  way to tell the story of what is happening with
  food in a community, and to mobilize efforts to
  improve the food system. Through such
  assessments, diverse stakeholders work together
  to research their local food system, publicize
  their findings, and implement changes based on
  their findings.

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collaborative participatory process
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assets based approach

• Tangible intangible resources in a community
• Views community as place with assets to be
  preserved enhanced
• Engages people as community members

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examines a range of community food issues assets
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informs change to make the community more food
secure
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Community Food Assessment

• is a collaborative and participatory process
• assumes an assets-based approach
• it systematically examines a broad range of
  community food issues and assets
• it informs change to make the community more food
  
• focuses on a defined place

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Research Tools

• Local Food Survey
• Focus Groups
• Photo Essays
• Mapping transportation, grocery store gaps, etc.
• Rapid Market Assessment type activities
• Secondary data
• Food System Assessments
• And more!

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www.eatncw.org
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Benton County, Oregon CFAwww.emoregon.org/food_fa
rms.php

• Report available online
• Innovative programs e.g. church coupon program
• Interfaith Food Farms Partnership network
• Other CFA training in North Portland

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Missoula Community Food and Agriculture Coalition
www.umt.edu/cfa
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CFAs in Washington

• Clark County (in progress)
• King County varies, depends on definition
• Wenatchee Valley (in progress) EAT
• Whatcom County (initiating)
• Others?

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Potential Roles for Extension?

• Introduce idea of CFA ascertain interest
• Help network and bring collaborators together
• Provide leadership to CFA
• Provide logistical support to CFA
• Help inform, find and organize relevant secondary
  data in meaningful ways
• Help process info collected and refine results
• Help connect CFA priorities areas for change with
  resources
• Help connect with other efforts in the state and
  region

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Selected Resources

• World Hunger Years Food Security Learning
  Center www.worldhungeryear.org/fslc
• Community Food Security Coalition CFA Program
• www.foodsecurity.org/cfa_home.html
• USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit
  www.ers.usda.gov/publications/efan02013/
• Whats Cooking in Your Food System? A Guide to
  Community Food Assessment
• www.foodsecurity.org