Food Not Feed Summit
Farm Action
Bringing cross-sector allies together to establish an agenda to shift federal farm programs toward fiber-rich foods and regeneratively raised livestock and poultry, the Food Not Feed Summit is an example of highly effective organizing and strategy coordination.
Spitfire was the main logistical partner for Farm Action to help bring together farmers, ranchers, health, environmental, social justice, faith, labor and animal advocates at the Food Not Feed Summit , held in Washington, D.C from February 7- 8, 2023. This was a historic event where hundreds gathered ahead of the 2023 farm bill reauthorization to advocate for a policy shift towards Food Not Feed. America’s farmers know how to seed, cultivate, grow, raise, and harvest enough food for all of us to lead happy, healthy lives that safeguards our environment – and it’s time the farm bill reflected this concept.
The Summit was held in the midst of the 2023 farm bill negotiations, where advocates were working to have their voices heard in a crowded media landscape. Attendees called for a farm bill that prioritizes farmers and puts food on Americans’ tables instead of feeding industrial poultry and livestock and funneling profits toward global grain and meatpacking corporations. According to a poll organized on behalf of Farm Action and the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, voters agreed that our food system should work for everyone, not just a handful of multinational corporations.
As the main logistical partner for this event, Spitfire facilitated and coordinated eight committees of co-host organizations to plan out critical details of the event, from the venue and registration logistics, programming and speaker selection, to the in-room and AV setup etc. Spitfire additionally coordinated and facilitated the Hill Visits Logistics Committee and as a result of this work, Farm Action was able to set up nearly 100 in-person meetings with Senators, Representatives and staff. Spitfire’s founder, Kristen Grimm facilitated an in-person networking session as part of the summit and then we prepared a comprehensive report highlighting the summit’s success and detailed notes on each speaker, including the inspiring and energetic keynote from Senator Cory Booker.
Our client partner, Farm Action, was overjoyed with the success of the event and the momentum that started in the community to fundamentally change America’s agriculture policies. Just two days after the Summit, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow announced that she would focus on expanding crop insurance options beyond feed grains – toward fruits, vegetables, and more – during the upcoming farm bill debate. The following week, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy emphasized the importance of the farm bill to fruit, vegetables, and nut crops. He said, “if we are not growing food in America, then we become more dependent on China, Mexico, and other nations for our food.” The Government Accountability Office also recommended trying conservation practices to crop insurance or commodity payments, another one of Food Not Feed’s direct asks.
