Roots of Change understands that advocacy requires insightful and accurate data to support its policy recommendations for food and farming reform. In addition to undertaking original research, we collaborate with academia and other think tanks to fill in information gaps that create barriers for the good food movement. Our reports, white papers, policy briefs, and fact sheets highlight the pathways for policy makers and the public who are interested in creating a healthier, equitable and more resilient food system.
2023 Food & Farm Scorecard
The 2023 legislative scorecard is the tenth iteration of the project, a collaborative effort amongst 50 organizations. The report is a tracking tool of the voting records of California state legislators on key food and farming policies. Founded by Roots of Change and now managed by CA Food and Farming Network.
Regenerative Meat Summit Report (June 2023)
The Regional Regenerative Meat Summit held in Sacramento in June 2023 was attended by 100 different stakeholders. They addressed the challenge of small and mid-size producers supplying 10 campuses and 5 medical centers within the UC system with regenerative meat. The report contains detailed results, next steps for the project and four recommendations for producers to become part of the UC system’s supply chain.
2022 Food & Farm Scorecard
The 2022 legislative scorecard is the ninth iteration of the project, a collaborative effort amongst 50 organizations. The report is a tracking tool of the voting records of California state legislators on key food and farming policies.
2021 Food & Farm Scorecard
The 2021 legislative scorecard is the eighth iteration of the project, a collaborative effort amongst 30 organizations. The report is a tool to hold our legislator’s and Governor accountable to supporting equitable food and farming policies. (Due to COVID-19, no report was issued in 2020.)
A New Era for Meat Processing in California
In the aftermath of the breakdown in the meat supply chain during the pandemic, ROC joined with the UC Davis Food Systems Lab led by Dr. Tom Tomich. Michael R. Dimock is the lead author of this study of challenges and opportunities for the small and mid-scale meat supply chain in California. The report contains recommendations for action. This work is part of ROC’s effort with CCOF to level the playing field for our organic and regenerative farmers and ranchers and the processors who serve them. Our rural communities need more opportunity and Californians need a robust and resilient supply of high quality meat produced in ways that combat climate and other challenges.
#LetsFeedLA COVID Emergency Nutrition Access Project
ROC worked with the County of Los Angeles, Wholesome Wave, PHI’s Center for Wellness and Nutrition and 18 incredible community-based organizations to feed nearly 100,000 food insecure individuals in nine weeks with over $22 million in CARES Act funding during the hight of the COVID-19 pandemic. The full report and 1-pager clarify how we did it and what resulted.
2019 Food and Farm Scorecard
The 2019 legislative scorecard is the seventh iteration of the project, a collaborative effort amongst 38 organizations. The report is meant to bring greater visibility to food and farming issues, and represents the diversity of the challenges the state faces — from hunger and nutrition to farmer livelihood and food chain worker protections. Note: Roots of Change contributed to this report but as of 2018 it is managed by CFFN.
2018 Food and Farm Scorecard
The 2018 legislative scorecard is the sixth iteration of the project, a collaborative effort amongst 38 organizations. The report is meant to bring greater visibility to food and farming issues, and represents the diversity of the challenges the state faces — from hunger and nutrition to farmer livelihood and food chain worker protections. The 2018 Food & Farm Scorecard analyzed 21 bills, tracked 17 of them and 70% of the bills were either killed or adopted in accordance with the coalition’s position. Note: Roots of Change contributed to this report but as of 2018 it is managed by CFFN.
2017 Food and Agriculture Legislation Tracker
This is the fifth annual Tracker that analyzes the performance of state legislators and the governor related to the policy priorities of the food movement. This document reflects the consensus opinion of the thirty nine nonprofits and county-based advocacy groups focused on transforming the food and agriculture that endorsed the document.
2017 California Food and Agriculture Legislator Scorecard
This is the second annual scorecard revealing the support of each state legislator to the priorities of California’s movement for a healthy, just and ecological food and agriculture system.
2016 California Food and Agriculture Legislator Scorecard
This scorecard is the first of what we intend to be an annual publication. We believe Californians must know how their elected representatives respond to bills meant to enhance California’s food and agriculture, critical determinants of public health, economic opportunity and resource protection.
2016 Food and Agriculture Legislation Tracker from Roots of Change and the CA Policy Work Group
The Policy Work Group, comprised of nonprofits and food policy councils, believes that sound food and agriculture policies are key to creating more healthy food access and resilient and profitable farms and ranches. This is the 4th annual report analyzing the performance of state legislators and governor related to the policy priorities of the food movement.
California Food Policy Council 2015 Report on Legislation Related to Food and Farming
The California Food Policy Council (CAFPC) believes that sound food and farm policies are key to promoting vital communities and a healthy future. This 2015 report is our third consecutive effort to track and analyze bills critical to food production and food access in the state legislature.
California Food Policy Council 2014 Report on Legislation Related to Food and Farming
The California Food Policy Council (CAFPC) believes that sound food and farm policies are key to promoting vital communities and a healthy future. This 2014 report is our second consecutive effort to track and analyze bills critical to food production and food access in the state legislature.
Market Match Report
ROOTS OF CHANGE (ROC) conceived the California Market Match Consortium (CMMC) to exemplify a central tenet of its theory of change: Actions to improve the food system should seek to solve multiple problems to create transformative synergy.
California Food Policy Council 2013 Report on Legislation Related to Food and Farming
As the CAFPC, we provide broadly supported guidance and assistance to decision makers as they develop new policies, regulations, programs, funding, technical support and research priorities affecting food and agriculture in our state.
2011 Memo to the Senate Agriculture Committee advocating for creation of the Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive program
Following completion of a cluster evaluation (found below), ROC delivered a memo to Senator Debbie Stabenow, Chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, who was preparing a new Farm Bill. The memo makes the case for creating what now delivers $50 million per year in matching funds for state and local government agencies, nonprofits and farmers markets delivering nutrition incentive to food insecure families.
SNAP Healthy Food Incentives Cluster Evaluation
In 2010-11, ROC joined Wholesome Wave and Fair Food Network in a collaborative effort to assess the impact of nutrition incentives on both families in need and the farmers providing the food. This document aided in the passage of the Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive provision of the Farm Bill in 2014. That provision is now titled the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP) in honor of the co-founder of Wholesome Wave, consultant to ROC, and an esteemed member of our team in designing the evaluation.
Declaration for Healthy Food and Agriculture
We, the undersigned, believe that a healthy food system is necessary to meet the urgent challenges of our time. Behind us stands a half-century of industrial food production, underwritten by cheap fossil fuels, abundant land and water resources, and a drive to maximize the global harvest of cheap calories. Ahead lie rising energy and food costs, a changing climate, declining water supplies, a growing population, and the paradox of widespread hunger and obesity.
The Vivid Picture Project
The Vivid Picture project team has been actively working since March of 2004. We began by interviewing you, the Roots of Change Council, and dozens of other food and agriculture leaders. We heard that it was time for the sustainability community to pull together a cohesive vision for a sustainable food system.