Exploring New Partnerships and Relationships with the Board on

Human SciencesUSDA

Mary McPhail Gray, Ph.D. MMGRAY@ers.usda.gov

202-694-53642/15/2010

The comments in this presentation are the ideas of the presenter and do not necessarily represent USDA.

Change Has Happened…without thoughtful planning

Era of Urgency in Washington

• Specific visionary goal statements

• Expectation of comprehensive support for goals

• Emphasis on the “big picture” and simple messages

• Remarkable encouragement for collaboration

A New Era in Washington for Human Sciences

• President Obama declares an end to child hunger by 2015

• Let’s Move Initiative to eliminate childhood obesity in a generation

• 2010 Child Nutrition Re-authorization

• Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Initiative

’08 Farm Bill Changes

• Transformation of Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service (CSREES) to National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)

• Appointment of Dr. Roger Beachy as the first Director of NIFA and the Chief Scientist for USDA

Opportunities for BoHS in all Mission Areas

• New emphasis on health

• Great recognition of need for systemic planning

• Integration of food production/processing/distribution/consumption

• Tough assessment of environments of influence

National Institute of Food and Agriculture

• Institute of Youth, Family, and Community • Institute of Food Production and Sustainability• Institute of Bioenergy, Climate, and Environment• Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition• Center for International Programs

• http://www.nifa.usda.gov/newsroom/factsheet.pdf

NIFA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) 2010 Societal Challenge

Areas • Keep American agriculture competitive while ending world

hunger

• Improve nutrition and end child obesity

• Improve food safety for all Americans

• Secure America’s energy future through renewable biofuels

• Mitigate and adapt agriculture to variations in climate

NIFA Commitments to Focus and Integration

• AFRI RFA’s will be issued in March

• Greater requirements for integrative projects; more funding for pre & post doctoral fellows

• Funding authority is available up to 10 years; initially 5 years will be practice

• Funding up to $25 million per project will be available

Asking Tough Questions

• Are our nutrition programs having the impacts we want?

• Are Americans healthier for all our investments in nutrition education?

• Is MyPyramid making a difference?

• Do we understand where we should invest to combat obesity?

Budget and Program Realities

• Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) accounts for 2/3 of USDA Budget:– $82.3 billion in 2010– $94.4 billion in 2011

• 66% of eligible persons participate in SNAP; only 56% of Latinos do, 32% of the elderly

• NIFA Budget is $1.3 billion in 2010

USDA Programs Provide Critical Safety Net and Impacts

• 1 in 4 Americans participates in a USDA Food Program:– 38.2 million adults and

children participate in SNAP

– 31.2 million children eat school lunch

– 11 million eat school breakfast

– 2.2 million participate in summer feeding programs

7.1 million infants and children participate in WIC

– 50% of US infants receive WIC

New Era of USDA Program Enhancements and New Initiatives

• School Foods Standards-- New IOM Report

• New WIC Package

• 2010 Dietary Guidelines

• Re-thinking MyPyramid

• Child Nutrition Reauthorization Bill

• Enhanced HealthierUS Schools Challenge

History of USDA’s Food Guidance

1940s

1950s-1960s

1970s

1992

2005

Food for Young

Children

1916

REALITY: MyPyramid Recommendations Compared to Consumption

-100

0

100

200

Per

cent

cha

nge

Females 31-50 Males 31-50

Increases

Current Consumption

Decreases Fruits Vegetables Grains Meat & Beans Milk

Bars show percent change needed in consumption to meet recommendations

Responding to Obesity and Dietary Intake Data with Intention

• Starting internally such as enhancing USDA cafeteria offerings

• Enhancing School Meals and WIC

• Increasing participation of eligibles in nutrition safety net programs

• Enlisting private and public partners

• Marketing the Use of the Food Environment Atlas

Enhancements, cont.

• Promote Know Your Farmer, Know your Food:– Tactical Teams analysis– Encourage Farm to School Programs – Support local community food councils– Identify opportunities for cooperative extension to

support community and school planning• Healthy Food Financing Initiative in 2011 Adm. Budget

will provide $400 million to bring grocery stores to underserved areas with Treasury/USDA/HHS collaboration

Enhancements, cont.

• Creative new ideas with federal partners:– HealthierUS Schools and Blue Ribbon

Schools Collaboration– HHS stronger involvement in Physical Activity

programs in schools and communities– Joint messaging and leadership for obesity

reduction initiatives with ED, HHS, and CDC.

HealthierUS School Challenge*

• Reimbursable meal standards

• Competitive food standards inside and outside the cafeteria

• Participation rate standards

• Nutrition Education

• Physical Activity

• Wellness policies* Only 600 of 100,000 US schools participate

A New Era of Collaboration

• CSREES Reorganization into NIFA with cross-agency task forces

• USDA Cross Agency Initiatives: e.g. KYF2; Food Environment Atlas

• Cross-Departmental Initiatives:– Schools and Health

Collaboration-ED/HHS/USDA– Obesity Reduction Joint Research-REE/NIH– NCORR-CDC/RWJ/Kellogg/USDA

Focus on Focus on fruits.fruits.

Vary your Vary your veggies.veggies.

Get your calcium-rich Get your calcium-rich foods.foods.

Make half your grains Make half your grains whole.whole.

Go lean with Go lean with protein.protein.Know the limits on fats, salt, Know the limits on fats, salt, and sugars.and sugars.

Key food group messages from the Dietary Guidelines and MyPyramid:

Realizing the Vision of a Healthier US

• Will require creativity, collaboration and courage in – Research– Interventions and outreach– Education

This community can play a key role in all of these efforts we need your input!

THANK YOU!