Flint Food Summit

July 01, 2022

The Flint Leverage Points Project gathered for the Flint Food Summit on June 30, 2022.

The Flint Leverage Points Project (FLPP) is a collaboration between researchers and community partners to ﬁnd ways to change the food system in Flint so that it is more equitable, healthy, and sustainable. The Community Foundation of Greater Flint (CFGF) is partnering with Michigan State University (MSU) to conduct this research. We are advised by a Community Consultative Panel comprised of representatives from the Flint community who work with food in Flint. We are looking at the whole food system—including production, distribution, preparing, eating and recycling food in Flint to find improvements that can benefit Flint residents. We will also identify strengths and opportunities within the food system that could be built upon. This project will produce an analysis of how community partners can intervene in the Flint food system to create positive change.

Food System Summit Agenda

June 30, 2022
1:00PM - 5:00PM
St. Paul's Church, 711 Saginaw St, Flint, MI 48502

Introduction of the Flint and Genesee Food Policy Council and the Flint Leverage Points Project

1:00 pm (50 minutes)

Breakout Sessions (3 breakout sessions rotating every 40 minutes)

2:00 pm to 4:20 pm

Breakout Room 1: Resilience Assessment and Household Food Security breakout group
- We need to understand and acknowledge the history of the food system in Flint to be able to collectively plan a sustainable future. In this session, we will have an interactive discussion about what we learned about the history of the food system in Flint, community values about food, and shared visions for the future of the Flint food system.
Breakout Room 2: System Dynamics Modeling
- How has the Flint food system changed in the past, and what is its future likely to be? How can we reduce food insecurity in Flint over the long term? Our interactive session will explore these questions using a tool called system dynamics modeling, coupled with information collected over the past four years of the Flint Leverage Points project. Ask your questions and oﬀer your perspectives on the Flint food system, then use the model to run your own scenarios. We will discuss what the model tells us about ways to improve equitable access to healthy food in Flint.
Breakout Room 3: Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping breakout group
- How can we build a collective understanding of the Flint food system? In this session we will discuss the results of our fuzzy cognitive mapping work, as well as collaboratively explore possible leverage points for positive change. Participants will have the opportunity to create their own mental model of the Flint food system to explore their under-standing of how the system works, and test what could be done to ensure an equitable and sustainable future.