No matter who you are or where you come from, you are a stakeholder in food systems that impact your life in a myriad of ways every day. Your food system produces the food you eat, stewards the air you breathe and the water you drink and sustains the livelihood of your neighbors, and perhaps your own family as well. These functions of our shared food system are all structured, for good or ill, by policy. No matter your place in the food system, we need your voice to join ours in calling for policies that will build a more economically, racially, and ecologically just food system.
At RAFI-USA, we believe that our policy work should be grounded in accountable relationships with the people and communities that are affected by our advocacy. For years, we’ve issued action alerts and policy updates to our subscribers around important policy issues, so that they can speak up to their representatives and key policymakers about the policies that affect their lives. This year, we’re expanding the ways that you can engage in our policy work through the creation of our new Policy Action Network.
Policy Action Network
Members of the RAFI-USA Policy Action Network will still receive food system policy updates and action alerts, but the experience will now be more customized, and will now allow members to engage in several additional ways. If you would like to only receive alerts and updates relevant to specific food system policy issue areas you’re most passionate about, you can update those preferences using our Action Network registration form. Additionally, if you are interested in learning how to advocate for policy and change food system narratives through your own social media channels, or could connect other farmers or food system workers to our action network, you can indicate this on our registration form to receive access to additional social media activism guides and training opportunities in the future.
Action Network Stakeholder
If you are a farmer, farmworker or food system worker, or other food supply chain stakeholder, you can also register as an Action Network Stakeholder. If you work in the food system, we want to be in conversation with you to know how policies are affecting you and your community. As a Policy Action Network Stakeholder, you will receive food system policy updates and action alerts based on your policy issue area interests similar to any other member of our Policy Action Network, but you will also have expanded options to engage based on your unique perspective and expertise as a farmer, rancher, or food system worker. Most importantly, you will be able to tell us which food policy issues you care about, and then you will periodically receive short voluntary surveys from RAFI-USA that allow you to give us your feedback on policy issue positions and advocacy strategies we are developing in real-time. Other options for engagement that will be optionally available to Policy Action Network Stakeholders include:
- Engaging directly with RAFI-USA staff to give policy input and relay stories about what you have experienced or observed that relates to policy change
- Opportunities to participate in advocacy visits with members of Congress or other policymakers
- Opportunities to engage with the media about food system policy issues
- Opportunities to contribute content to RAFI-USA policy briefs, comments, and platforms.
- Training on how to advocate for policy and change food system narratives through your own social media channels
As a Policy Action Network Stakeholder, your privacy or confidentiality requirements will always be strictly respected, and your involvement will always be voluntary. We want to be your partner in engaging with the policies that affect your life, career, and community.