Policy & Advocacy

Why do we focus on public policy?

The number of people struggling with hunger around the world in Africa, Asia and Latin America now exceeds one billion. Fifty million Americans experienced food insecurity in 2009, including 17 million children – nearly one in four American children. Improving domestic and global food security is one of the most critical challenges of the 21^st century. Being a leader in ending global hunger will improve U.S. security and provide greater opportunities for trade, economic growth, and the improvement of conditions for people experiencing hunger and poverty around the globe.

Creating a food secure world requires effective public policies. Good public policy improves opportunity for those at risk of hunger and poverty. Public policy can remove barriers that prevent people from accessing nutritious food for a healthy life. Public policy sets a broad framework for international, national, state and local programs to end hunger and achieve food security for all.

CHC staff work closely with government agencies, Congressional committees, anti-hunger organizations, corporations, and foundations to create awareness and visibility around hunger and poverty issues. CHC participates in coalitions to advocate for domestic and international policies to achieve food security. We have a close relationship with many Members of the United States Congress, and through these relationships, we educate and advocate for improved public policy and more funding for food security programs.

CHC has positioned itself as a unique organization that integrates practice and policy to find long-term, sustainable solutions to hunger and poverty.

How do we work on anti-hunger policy?

As part of our advocacy and education work, CHC staff organize and speak on panels on Capitol Hill, and participate in workshops and conferences across the U.S. to educate and mobilize new voices in the fight against hunger.

We rely on our Leland and Emerson Fellows and alumni to bring new perspectives to our advocacy work by providing us with information about programs and policies in their areas of expertise and locations. Our Leland and Emerson Fellows and alumni also provide critical perspective on how to best connect grassroots need and national policy efforts.

CHC also works in close partnership with allied organization to shape policy initiates and end hunger. CHC’s current coalition work includes:

• Participation in the Alliance to End Hunger, a membership organization that engages diverse institutions in building the public and political will to end hunger at home and abroad.
• Partnership with the Alliance for Global Food Security, a membership organization working to assure that food security-related policies address the realities experienced firsthand in the field and are not just theoretical constructs.
• Advising the Child Nutrition Forum which monitors all domestic child nutrition program legislation and regulation.
• Efforts to increase and protect resources available for agriculture and rural development through membership in the Coalition for Agricultural Development (CFAD).
• Membership in the Community Food Security Coalition, a diverse group working to building strong, sustainable, local and regional food systems that ensure access to affordable, nutritious, and culturally appropriate food to all people at all times.  CFSC develops policies grounded in the principles of justice, democracy, and sustainability.
• Acting as a steering committee member for the Committee for Preserving Food Choice in SNAP, an anti-hunger private sector committee that SNAP participants should retain the right to choose food items for their families in a grocery store.
• Membership in InterAction, the largest alliance of U.S.-based international nongovernmental organizations. InterAction seeks to shape important policy decisions on relief and long term development issues, including foreign assistance, the environment, women, health, education and agriculture.
• Serving as a member of NAHO (National Anti-Hunger Organizations), a group composed of the executive directors of major, national, domestic anti-hunger organizations in New York City, D.C., Chicago and Los Angeles. CHC’s executive director is the acting coordinator of NAHO, which meets monthly to discuss, debate and strategize on the most critical pending legislative and regulatory issues.
• Participating in the National CACFP Forum, a nationwide steering committee of Child and Adult Care Food Program sponsors seeking to improve and expand CACFP.
• Serving as an advisory member of a public /private sector initiative to address domestic hunger and poverty led by the National Conference of State Legislatures. This is a public/private partnership between NCSL and major corporate partners designed to present the 7000 members of state legislatures with model solutions to end hunger in their states.
• Acting as founding member of the Roadmap Coalition, a cooperation of more than 40 organizations to develop the Roadmap to End Global Hunger.
• CHC is also a member of the U.S. NGO Working Group on IFAD and Rural Poverty based in Washington, DC.

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