Seattle's Good Food Community recently asked Seattle's mayoral candidates for their responses to a set of questions on local food issues as a way to better understand the community's potential to partner with the candidates (should they be elected) in future efforts to improve Seattle's food system, and to get to know them better as candidates. The Good Food Community, an informal coalition of local and healthy food advocates, including Sustainable Seattle, agreed to share their answers unedited. We hope you take this opportunity to find out what the candidates' views on what can be done to improve our food system.
Mike McGinn's Response:
1. How will you activate city departments to integrate their work under Seattle's Local Food Action Initiative? Specifically, what ideas do you have to improve healthy food access, jobs and economic development, urban gardening and farming, land use and transportation as they pertain to the food system?
The first step to activating city employees is continuing the education efforts around local food policy that have already begun (as a result of the Local Food Action Initiative). Key staff in the Department of Planning and Development, Department of Transportation, the Office of Economic Development, and the Department of Parks and Recreation should (if they have not already) receive briefings on local food issues. Other departments managing city right-of-way should also be involved in a broader education effort. Workplans should continue to incorporate actions that will address goals for local food access and production.
Actions that may address food policy and the food system:
* Support the development and implementation of the Food Policy Action Plan
* Support expansion of the P-Patch program and the land utilized by the program
* Change land use requirements to ensure that our code is amenable to urban food
* production (based on DPD recommendations)
* Use more city-owned property for food production
* Encourage farmer's markets in more neighborhoods
* Devise tactics to make farmer's markets more affordable for lower-income residents
* Provide resources for food banks
* Evaluate food production and its link to opportunities for local jobs
* Evaluate land use/transportation for access to food; eliminate food deserts
* Support and promote projects like the Delridge Mobile Market
* Support and promote efforts to increase the amount of healthy food in neighborhood
* markets
* Look to food access and policy experts for next steps for a progressive city that values local food and equitable access to food
2. How will you work to address the rapidly increasing demand for local food production and retail within the city boundaries?
See above.
3. Can you describe how the food system fits with your goals for liveability in all of Seattle's neighborhoods? What tools would you utilize for advancing your goals (e.g. neighborhood plans, zoning ordinances, Interdepartmental Teams)? What resources would you commit to seeing these goals implemented?
As an urban gardener and seed saver, I am well aware of the many benefits that local food production can bring to a neighborhood and household. I also know that not everyone has access to the same resources that I have access to - a place to grow food and the time to do it (though time is certainly more scarce than it once was). I think the ultimate goal is for everyone in Seattle to have access to local and affordable food in their neighborhood, whether it means that they're growing it themselves or that they're able to purchase is within a reasonable distance from their home. I will use neighborhood plans, zoning, economic development efforts,
and other tactics to make this happen. I will make an effort to ensure that key city staff are wellversed on local food issues and that goals are integrated into broader departmental goals. Policy change requires many staff hours, which I am willing to commit. Other more specific resources would depend on the budget.
4. Will you consider hiring a special advisor to the mayor to focus on issues of food access, equity, green jobs, etc? If so, what would you specifically hope to achieve through this position?
Yes, I will consider it. I would hope to secure Seattle's reputation for being on the cutting edge of local food and access to food, and to provide a model for other places in the nation. If we are successful, our local food economy will be lifted, neighborhoods will enjoy more affordable and accessible food, and ultimately, Seattleites will be healthier.
Joe Mallahan's Response:
Hi, Tammy:
Thank you for following up. Unfortunately, we are deep in the midst of our final campaign push and Joe will not have an opportunity to answer your questions before Monday. He supports improving access to healthy, locally produced food for all people in Seattle and is committed to continuing our burgeoning farmers' markets.! Joe is looking forward to working with Urban FoodLink and other groups doing similar work when he is Mayor.
Once again, please accept Joe's sincere apologies.
Kind regards,
Susanna Williams
Deputy Campaign Manager
Mallahan for Mayor
The Letter of Inquiry
October 2, 2009
Dear Mayoral Candidate:
We are writing on behalf of Seattle's Good Food Community to learn more from you about your ideas and positions on current issues related to the food system in Seattle and throughout the Puget Sound. Our efforts to improve the local food system aim to address an array of other pressing public issues including economic development, public health, and social justice. We represent thousands of individuals and organizations across the region. We've devised a short set of questions to highlight some issues to which we would appreciate your considered responses. We look forward to working with our new mayor regardless of who
that is and as such are distributing these questions to both campaigns.
We see your responses as a way for our community to better understand our potential to partner with you in our future efforts to improve Seattle's food system and to get to know you better as a candidate. Accordingly, we will share your answers to the following questions, unedited, and without any commentary through our networks, on our websites, and in our meetings. We will be calling your office soon to set up a meeting to discuss these topics, and if your schedule permits, would like to request a meeting for either October 7th or 8th. If feasible, we
would appreciate receiving your responses in writing on or before our scheduled meeting time.
Our questions for you:
1. How will you activate city departments to integrate their work under Seattle's Local Food Action Initiative? Specifically, what ideas do you have to improve healthy food access, jobs and economic development, urban gardening and farming, land use and transportation as they pertain to the food system?
2. How will you work to address the rapidly increasing demand for local food production and retail within the city boundaries?
3. Can you describe how the food system fits with your goals for liveability in all of Seattle's neighborhoods? What tools would you utilize for advancing your goals (e.g. neighborhood plans, zoning ordinances, Interdepartmental Teams)? What resources would you commit to seeing these goals implemented?
4. Will you consider hiring a special advisor to the mayor to focus on issues of food access, equity, green jobs, etc? If so, what would you specifically hope to achieve through this position?
We look forward to working with you in pursuit of a healthier, more sustainable, and more just Seattle. Please feel free to contact either of us at the numbers below if you have any questions. We will be calling your office in the next day to schedule a meeting and learn more about your positions.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Branden Born
Assistant Professor, Urban Design & Planning
University of Washington
Tammy Morales
Owner, Urban Food Link
University of Washington
For more information or to be sent pdf's of the mayoral candidates' responses, please contact info@sustainableseattle.org
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