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PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Our team will work closely with the City of Seattle, and in particular Laura Raymond who oversees the city's P-Patch Program and is a member of the Food Systems IDT, to conduct a city-wide food system assessment to define and analyze system enhancement opportunities in Seattle, WA. Our team will analyze the food system in Seattle and in specific seek to understand how food systems exist in certain neighborhoods. This will involve initiating a neighborhood food assessment of 2 Seattle neighborhoods representing different socio-economic demographics. We will look at questions like "What are the true access issues in a low-income neighborhood?" After careful study, we will come up with a suite of options to improve the food systems in those neighborhoods. This assessment will hopefully serve as a model for other neighborhoods in Seattle. Another interesting aspect of the project will include connecting our project to the climate change work being done in the city. In an effort to meet the Kyoto Protocols for Seattle, we will show how the food system in Seattle is linked to green-house gas emissions and that by improving the city's food system, we can positively reduce carbon emissions.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES

To conduct a city-wide food system assessment to define and analyze system enhancement opportunities that:

• Reduce ecological impacts and system vulnerabilities
• Improve equity, system resilience, food security, and
• Provide economic opportunities for local food entrepreneurs including detailed analysis of 2 or 3 food-insecure neighborhoods.

Rich Cook is currently a graduate student at the University of Washington's Evans School of Public Affairs. His focus is environmental and education policy. Prior to his graduate studies, Rich spent three years working with Seattle Public Schools as a Tutor and Volunteer Resource Coordinator as well as working for a cycling nonprofit and two public agencies. The majority of his professional experience has focused on program evaluation, personnel management and statistical analysis. His strengths include writing, evaluations, communication and analytical reasoning. Rich received a B.A. from Colby College in Waterville, Maine with degrees in political science and psychology in 2003. Originally from Maine, Rich moved to Seattle several years ago to gain nonprofit experience and indulge multiple outdoor interests. Rich is passionate about sports, especially biking. He is interested in gaining more experience working on environmental policy issues with public agencies in Seattle.

Dan Morgan is a PhD student in the Department of Earth and Space Sciences at The University of Washington. Dan's dissertation research focuses on the glacial history of the McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica and the global climate system of the last 15 million years. As an undergraduate student at Pomona College (CA) Dan became interested in environmental analysis while examining the history of water resources in the Los Angeles basin. Here at the UW he has taken a keen interest in interdisciplinary environmental problems that involve policy and a high degree of scientific uncertainty, such as the debate surrounding petroleum resources in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Dan looks forward to working on the food system analysis of Seattle and the opportunity to blend sound science and policy to foster environmental stewardship.

Heidi Radenovic is pursuing her MBA at the University of Washington's Business School. Heidi spent the past several years working in the nonprofit sector. Before moving to Seattle, Heidi worked at Oxfam America in Boston, MA where she studied issues of food security in Cuba and the Dominican Republic. She contributed research and writing to the published report "Going Against the Grain" which explored how sustainable business initiatives in Cuba helped turn a severe food crisis into a sustained recovery in food production in the 1990's. Most recently, Heidi worked at Facing the Future, a Seattle-based education nonprofit organization. In her role she developed global issues and sustainability workshop content and presented at educator conferences nationwide. Heidi graduated with Highest Honors in Global Economics at the University of California, Santa Cruz in 2000. During that time Heidi spent an academic year abroad in Granada, Spain and interned at the Center for National Policy in Washington, DC. Her career goals include becoming a leader in the business community by integrating sustainability principles into business practices. Heidi has volunteer experience in political campaigns and has presented community workshops on fair trade throughout the Puget Sound.

Stephanie Renzi is currently a second year International Chinese studies graduate student at the University of Washington's Jackson School. During her first year in the program, she advanced to the final round of the Global Social Entrepreneur Competition as part of the Green China Design team. She and her team developed a green roofing and walling business proposal that would mitigate the negative effects of Beijing's air and water pollution through a natural, environmentally sustainable filtration system. Prior to that, she earned a B.A. in history at Fordham University and an individualized minor in Asian studies. During that time, she studied abroad with The Beijing Center in Beijing, China. Ms. Renzi's primary research interests include U.S.-China relations, Asia-Pacific security, and Chinese environmental history and policy. Through the Program on the Environment's Keystone Project, she hopes to learn more about environmental policy implementation.

Branden Born is the faculty mentor for the project. Branden is an Assistant Professor of Urban Design and Planning at the University of Washington.

Here are our Project Milestones:

Milestone 1

Milestone 2

Milestone 3

Milestone 4

Milestone 5

Milestone 6