FOOD SOVEREIGNTY INITIATIVE: ADVANCING A RESILIENT FOOD SAFETY SYSTEM FOR FARMERS, PRODUCERS, AND FOOD ENTREPRENEURS

Goals and ObjectivesThe overall program goal of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina's (LTNC) Agriculture and Natural Resources Department ("Department") is to build a sustainable local and systematic infrastructure in its tribal territory to address food systems, food insecurity, and public health. The Department's mission is to "strengthen our farming communities by advocating for Lumbee agricultural opportunities and promoting tribal sovereignty." The Department program objectives include supporting model projects that expand the availability of locally-produced and healthy foods in Native communities and beyond experiencing food insecurity, food deserts, diet-related diseases, obesity, and preterm births common among Lumbee mothers. Food safety is a primary concern among these populations, aligning with the FSOP proposal.LTNC established the Lumbee Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources in 2022 with one of several missions to provide technical assistance and infrastructure to local food producers and entrepreneurs to support short food supply chain efforts within Robeson County and the surrounding area. These efforts led to establishing a member-owned entity, the Lumbee Farmer Cooperative, which works together on food safety, crop planning, and marketing utilizing shared equipment among the members. The Department has continued these efforts with a deeper focus on addressing food access, protection, preservation, and sovereignty among Native Americans and other members of their community who are elderly, socially disadvantaged, and underserved through the Food Sovereignty Initiative. These efforts are based on research suggesting that incorporatinglocal foods into feeding programs would increase access to fresh foods, improve variety, and help foodslast longer. Additionally, research showed that self-administration of nutrition programs, including engagement of Tribal sovereignty, increased the ability to target community members in need, control and flexibility over nutritional quality of food, and ability to offer culturally relevant programming.1The FSOP funding will allow us to continue working on our most challenging issue, food safety, and minimize the risk of food recalls within the food system we are building. We aim to shorten the food supply chain, generate jobs, and create a more coordinated and efficient vertically integrated food system by establishing trust and needed food safety competencies. This FSOP funding will allow for the Lumbee Department of Agriculture & Natural Resources to expand its food safety capacity and provide specialized food safety assistance to an extended audience of producers seeking to implement a food safety plan, increase recordkeeping capabilities, and become FSMA compliant, and producers and cottage food entrepreneur tenants of the Food & Nutrition Innovation Hub and community food distributors.We will:Objective 1: Improve the food safety and protection of six (6) community-engaged feeding programs.· Develop the Food Safety for Community Foods Train-the-Trainer (TTT) Manual.· Engage six (6) non-profits in participating in TTT food safety and traceability education.· Deliver two (2) TTT sessions (1/year).Objective 2: Provide eighty (80) farmers with culturally appropriate, commodity-specific post-harvest handling physiology, Good Manufacturing Practices, and FSMA Preventive Controls Compliance training to transition from on-farmto facility handling. This training will be a mandatory requirement for participation in the Lumbee GAP Program.· Develop the Commodity-Specific Guide to Food Safety & Quality Manual for Post-Harvest Operations.· Deliver four (4) trainings utilizing the developed curriculum (2/year).Objective 3: Provide technical assistance to fifty (50) farmers seeking Lumbee GAP Certification. Fifty (50) farmers will gain access to the Provision Food Safety Platform.· Assist in developing and implementing the Food Safety Management System.· Assist in implementing the Provision Food Safety Platform to increase traceability.Objective 4: Provide technical assistance to six (6) food hubs and one (1) farmer cooperative on Lumbee GAP certification, FSMA regulations, and traceability requirements of Lumbee GAP during Hub-to-Hub trade.· Assist with upgrading food safety programs to meet the Lumbee GAP requirements and SMA Preventive Controls and GMP compliance.· Assist in implementing the Provision Food Safety Platform (or analternative) with food hub partners to increase traceability.Objective 5: Determine food safety professional needs and communicate information to local universities and technical colleges for potential certificate or degree offerings geared towards increasing capacity in food safety.Short-Term Impacts (Goals):· Community food partners increase their understanding of proper food safety handling.· Farmers and food entrepreneurs receive training and technical assistance in four program areas: 1) Post-harvest handling and produce specifications, 2) Good Agricultural Practice/ FSMA Produce Safety Rule, 3) Good Manufacturing Practices/ FSMA Preventive Controls, and 4) Digital Recordkeeping.· Food hubs and farmer cooperatives receive technical assistance to increase product traceability, comply with FSMA regulations, and benefit from 2nd-party Food Safety Verification Audits.Long-Term Impacts (Goals):· Food hubs and farmer cooperatives receive training and assistance in obtaining food safety certification, complying with FSMA regulations, and implementing business models specific to their operation, ensuring long-term success.· Community food agencies will improve product quality, safety, and traceability and increase local food offerings.· Farmers and food entrepreneurs are better prepared to scale up production supplying to the Hub.· Increase of food safety professionals.The Food Sovereignty InitiativeThe Food Sovereignty Initiative is a significant picture focus encompassing the protection of the environment, human health, and economic viability of the food system that feeds our people. The most critical gap that has been identified is providing adequate food safety support to the community required to establish a food safety culture and deliver advanced education and technical support to farmers and food entrepreneurs that will contribute to the future initiative as tenants at the LTNC Food & Nutrition Innovation Hub ("Hub") that will house: 1) The Lumbee Health and Human Services; 2) The Lumbee Agriculture & Natural Resource Department; 3) The Lumbee Farmer's Cooperative Food Hub; 4) The Food Processing Center (fresh-cut, IQF, freeze-dried and dehydrated produce); 5) The Events Center; 6) The Commercial Kitchen; and 7) The Grab-N-Go Market. The future Hub will provide an affordable workspace and individualized technical assistance to small food businesses, taking a holistic view of community development by offering an equitable community space where everyone feels like they belong and their needs matter. We realize the importance of food safety education among all local food supply chain sectors.1 Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: The Historical Determinants of Food Insecurity in Native Communities (published October 4, 2022. Available at https://www/cbpp.org/research/food-assistance/the-historical-determinan… od-unsecurity-in-native-communities.