Florida Food Policy Council

Final Plans Book

Miguel Peruyera- Account Executive

Olivia Gonzalez- Communications Strategist
Karisma Ramaiah- Writer/Editor
Natalie Gomez- Community Relations Director/Event Planner
Ayanna Blake-Harris- Creative Director

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 Table of Contents

Executive Summary 3

Part I: The Situational Analysis 5

Situation Analysis

Backgrounder

Part II: Formal Stakeholder Research 9

Purpose of Research

A. Qualitative Research 9

1. Focus Group Protocol 9

a. Method

b. Results

2. Executive Board Communication Audit 15

a. Method

b. Results

B. Quantitative Research 17

a. Methods

b. Results

Overall SWOT Analysis 21

Part III: Strategic Plan 22

Part IV: Appendix & Raw Data 24

Appendix A 24

Appendix B 36

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Executive Summary:

The Florida Food Policy Council’s primary mission is to address gaps in the food system through
integrity and collaboration to benefit all Floridians and the environment. The Florida Food Policy
Council is an umbrella organization that strives to combat many issues within the food system. A
primary focus of the Florida Food Policy Council is to educate its key publics and stakeholders
on food policy. Furthermore, the organization focuses on the interconnectedness between food,
racial, social, climate, health, and environmental justice. The Florida Food Policy Council works
to advocate for groups facing injustices and need support.

The Florida Food Policy Council experiences a lack of brand recognition and understanding
from the community of its purpose. This overall difficulty in brand awareness translates into
missed opportunities to reach potential members, partners, and stakeholders. To gain more
exposure from potential members, partners, and stakeholders, the FLFPC needs to strengthen its
brand recognition.

The Florida Food Policy Council lacks strong branding and messaging and a more substantial
social media presence. Its website is not user-friendly and does not do an excellent job
articulating the needs for charitable donations and how those donations help Florida Food Policy
Council do meaningful work. The intention is to inform the community of the work Florida Food
Policy does in identifying and addressing gaps in Florida’s food system and bring attention to the
many other goals of the Florida Food Policy Council.

The critical qualitative findings from our focus group were that participants believed that many
of the organization’s focus points are essential. The participants were mostly in agreement about
the significance of racial equality, education on food policy, and knowledge regarding their food
sources. The focus group results show that people want more education on food policy because
they are curious about how it impacts them personally. Also, most participants admitted to
having little to no knowledge about food policy and felt that education on food policy is
essential. There was a strong awareness about organizations that provide outreach to those facing
food insecurity. However, the Florida Food Policy Council was not mentioned when the
participants elaborated on the organizations that provide outreach. Most participants think that

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advocating for racial equality can be seen more, and this is one of the Florida Food Policy
Council’s fundamental missions.

The quantitative findings from the survey show that there is a low involvement from respondents
that are white, middle-aged, educated, and have a high income. A key result was that the
respondents leaned liberal. There is a higher response rate from women, and they seem to have
more awareness when it comes to equality gaps in the food system. There are significant
differences between males and females in seeking out information on issues the Florida Food
Policy Council aims to combat. Generally, Hillsborough residents feel they should have access to
quality food. Hillsborough residents somewhat feel as if there are equality gaps within the food
system.

Our strategic plan aims to increase awareness of the Florida Food Policy Council and increase
involvement among families in high-income neighborhoods. Increasing participation from this
demographic would be beneficial as our data shows that the higher the income respondents had,
the lower their involvement was in the issue of food insecurity. Low-income respondents
indicated the most increased participation in the matter of food insecurity. Therefore, the
strategies and tactics in our strategic plan will appeal to families in high-income neighborhoods
and will increase direct community involvement.

Campaign Slogan:
“All Floridians Deserve Food”

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 Part I: The Situation Analysis

Situational Analysis:

History: The Florida Food Policy Council is an organization that is working toward fair and
healthy food for all Floridians. They are a registered nonprofit with the State of Florida and a
registered 501(c)3 organization. The Florida Food Policy Council is a volunteer-run organization
with over 150 members from various sectors of Florida’s food system including academia,
agriculture, health, hospitality, non-profit, and the public.

The Florida Food Policy held its inaugural general meeting on Sunday, April 3, 2016, in Fort
Myers. The Council has received support amongst such agencies as the Department of
Agriculture, Department of Health, the Environmental Protection Agency, Florida Blue,
UF/IFAS, Florida Organic Growers, and others. The committee structure includes an
Organizational Committee, a Policy Committee, a Communication Committee, and an Executive
Committee. ​Additional achievements included development of policy agenda recommendations
from the membership, which proved to be an ongoing theme at each future membership meeting.
The recommendations from each session are given to the Policy Committee for compilation and
review. In 2017, the Council evaluated the data from the regional meetings and used that
feedback to form a strategic plan. The first annual meeting in Sanford on June 24th, 2017.
The board meeting in Orlando on Nov 13th, 2017 ratified the action steps.
Mission: The Florida Food Policy Council works to address gaps and affect policy within the
food system through integrity and collaboration for the benefit of all Floridians and the
environment.

Purpose:
Page 5, https://flfpc.org/resources/Documents/flfpc-inuagural-meeting-minutes.pdf
● End hunger, Access to local, healthy food for all
● Food Quality
● Membership Diversity—stakeholders’ ages, races, industry
● Access to resources and Information
● Sustainability—Environmental and Economic
● Integrity
● Education re: Council, food, health, lifestyle
● Supporting all food sources—farmers, fishers, artisans
● Transparency—information, resources *Farmworker rights
● Resiliency—climate change, clean food, self-sufficiency, emergency preparedness
● Food Waste—scandalous; elimination and recycling
● Effect systemic change around food
● Supporting local small farmers

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 ● Statewide distribution system
● Training—hospitality, agritourism, agriculture, food preparation

Key Players:
BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
➢ ERIKA HALL, CHAIR OF THE BOARD
➢ ANTHONY OLIVIERI, CHAIR OF THE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
➢ DELL DECHANT, CHAIR OF THE POLICY COMMITTEE
➢ TOM PELLIZZETTI, TREASURER
➢ ERIKA HARDISON, BOARD MEMBER
➢ GREG NOONAN, TREASURER ELECT
➢ STACY BROWN, BOARD MEMBER

TEAM MEMBERS:
➢ KYNDRA LOVE, OPERATIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
➢ SARAH BRUNNIG, HEAD OF CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT
➢ DANI CRESPO, OPERATIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS INTERN
➢ CORTNEY SZAFRAN, RESEARCH ASSISTANT
➢ GARRICK ROE, POLICY RESEARCH INTERN
➢ GABBY TEIXEIRA, RESEARCH ASSISTANT

CORRESPONDENTS:
➢ ROXANNE HOORNE(ST. PETERSBURG)
➢ RACHEL RAM(NEW YORK)

Target Publics:
The Florida Food Policy Council(FLFPC) is inclined to outreach to farmers, farmer’s
markets, and educational lunch programs concerning sustainability, agriculture, and nutrition.
These programs would help people better understand the importance of health and nutrition.
More people would consider volunteering for the Florida Food Policy Counsel, and hopefully
contribute to the overall goals on an individual level as well. Another group to mention that will
be subsets of these programs and causes are health groups, food policy stakeholders, activist
groups, and people who want fresh food in Florida as a whole.
Some examples of what organizations are in association with FLFPC that correlate with
the target publics in mind regarding cleanliness, quality, affordability, educational resources, and
school lunches involve: the Florida Farmers Market Association(FFMA), Florida Farm
Bureau Federation(FFB), Fresh From Florida, Florida Agriculture in the Classroom, etc.
In the pursuit of these target publics, to increase outreach, there will be efforts towards gaining
state and local government entities and legislation. These are the most important target publics
that the Florida Food Policy Council keeps in mind as to fulfill their mission and purpose.

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Resources:
Some of the public resources that can be found on the company’s website include Florida Food
Policy Councils, Florida Food Action Organizations, Food Conferences, and a Regional Map.

The Florida Food Policy Councils- Visit https://flfpc.wildapricot.org/florida-councils for websites,

Facebook pages, and council contact information.

➢ Florida Regional Councils Association( FRCA)(Statewide); Tallahassee Food

Network(Region 2); Duval County Food Policy Council(Region 3); Pasco County Food
Policy Advisory Council and Manasota Food Action Council(Region 4); Good Food
Central Florida, St. Lucie Food Council, Indian River Food Policy Council(Region 5);
Sarasota Food Policy Council(Region 6).

Florida Food Action Organizations- https://flfpc.wildapricot.org/page-18096

Food Conferences- visit https://flfpc.wildapricot.org/food-conferences for more information on

individual conferences.

❖ STATEWIDE- Florida Food Policy Council(Annual Meeting), Daily Forum(Orlando),

International Conference on Food and Agricultural Engineering 2020(Miami), Tampa
Bay Network to End Hunger(Annual Summit), Slow Food(Florida Chapters),
Localecopia, and University of South Florida(Annual Food Sovereignty Summit)
❖ NATIONAL- Annual American Food Sure Summit(Chicago), Sustainable Food and
Farm Conferences(Grass Valley, CA), National Anti-Hunger Food Policy
Conference(Washington, DC), Annual Meat Conference(Dallas, TX), National Food
Policy Conference(Washington, DC)

Regional Map- https://flfpc.wildapricot.org/Regional-Map

Additional Informational Links:
❖ https://clf.jhsph.edu
❖ https://consumerfed.org/events/national-food-policy-conference/
❖ http://growingfoodconnections.org
❖ https://civileats.com/2014/05/13/want-to-change-the-food-system-heres-where-to-start/
❖ https://foodprint.org/issues/food-policy-101/

Volunteers:
The Florida Food Policy Council has an online interactive series that discusses emerging issues
that impact food. The Florida Food Forum is currently the only webinar in the state of Florida
that reviews a wide-range of food-related topics which include food justice, technology and
agriculture, food access, urban planning, and food policy. This forum allows food experts and the
community to come together and discuss the food system from anywhere around the world.

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Sponsors:
The Florida Food Policy Council uses sponsorship programs to help sustain their work and the
future of FLFPC. There are different levels to the sponsorship programs: Seed Level, Sprout
Level, and Crop Level. Each level comes with benefits and the higher the sponsorship level, the
more benefits the program offers. The Florida Food Policy Council values the commitment of
their sponsors, and if a sponsor happens to become inconsistent their sponsorship will be
declined.

Media History:
Bay News 9 acknowledged the Florida Food Policy Council’s efforts to address food insecurity.
https://www.baynews9.com/fl/tampa/news/2020/11/25/st--petersburg-food-policy-council
St Pete Catalyst mentions the city’s approval of a Food Policy Council to explore food
insecurity.
https://stpetecatalyst.com/city-approves-creation-of-a-food-policy-council-to-explore-food-insecurity/
Internet sites with news sections-
https://foodtank.com/news/2019/10/floridas-food-policy-council-building-a-platform-to-drive-change/
https://www.cltampa.com/news/st-petersburg-creates-food-policy-council-to-fight-food-insecurity-122198
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Communication Resources:
➔ Organization Website- https://flfpc.wildapricot.org
➔ Become a member of the organization by signing up at https://flfpc.wildapricot.org/join-us.
This would be a great way to build close connections to key players in the organization.
➔ Informational blog posts:
● News: https://flfpc.wildapricot.org/news
● Policy Snapshot: https://flfpc.wildapricot.org/policy-snapshot
● Community Voices: https://flfpc.wildapricot.org/page-18095
● Recent blog posts are updated regularly in the blog tab that provide information
on topics regarding the environment, government policies, and organizational
reviews.
➔ Events calendar on Florida Food Policy Council website
➔ Facebook page with information about the organization, fundraisers, and events.
➔ Instagram account with an exclusive link in bio where people can donate funds and
register for events/forums. People interested in the organization can follow the account
for updates and can send direct messages to the team member that runs their Instagram
account.
➔ Although the Florida Food Policy Council does not have a Twitter account, lots of
accounts tweet about the organization. Twitter is a good place to keep up with
information that pertains to organizational activities.

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 Part II: Formal Stakeholder Research

Purpose of Research:

Qualitative: The focus group will probe into USF students' views and claims regarding
inequality within the food system, education on food policy, and food insecurity.

The board member communication audit helps identify the main priorities of the organization’s
key players so appropriate research is conducted to create successful objectives that fit the target
audience's needs and preferences.

Quantitative: The purpose of the survey is to better understand the experiences and beliefs of
the Hillsborough County residents regarding essential matters such as food policy and how it
impacts their community.

A. Qualitative Research
1. Focus Group Protocol-

a. Method: The qualitative research method will include a virtual focus group conducted
via Microsoft Teams. Members of the research team will lead and facilitate the
discussion. There will be three moderators for each section of the focus group protocol.
The questions will fall into the categories of beliefs, interests, and communication
preferences. The focus group will probe into USF students' views and claims regarding
inequality within the food system, education on food policy, and food insecurity. The
research team will record the focus group session on Microsoft teams. A set of team
members will transcribe the data and later thoroughly analyze it to draw generalized
conclusions from the discussion responses.
b. Results(main findings): The critical qualitative findings from our focus group were that
participants believed that many of the organization’s focus points are essential. The
participants were mostly in agreement about the significance of racial equality, education
on food policy, and knowledge regarding their food sources. The focus group results
show that people want more education on food policy because they are curious about how
it impacts them personally. Also, most participants admitted to having little to no
knowledge about food policy but felt that education on food policy is essential. There
was a strong awareness about organizations that provide outreach to those facing food
insecurity. However, the Florida Food Policy Council was not mentioned when the
participants elaborated on the organizations that provide outreach. Most participants think
that advocating for racial equality can be seen more, and this is one of the Florida Food
Policy Council’s fundamental missions.

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 Results Continued:
Beliefs:

What comes to mind when hearing the word “advocacy?”

Participant 1 described it as the action of standing up for something and expressing

opinions based on their own beliefs. This caused a chain effect of everyone agreeing.
Participant 2 said that for them it was about speaking up and being an advocate for others.
Participant 3 inputted that it was about self-confidence and that in speaking up, it
requires courage to say your opinion in a strong manner and how this an important
aspect of advocacy. Participant 4 says advocacy applies to standing up for the right
and the wrong centering around your own beliefs. Everyone essentially inputted that
it is an outward process of speaking your mind on an issue that you stand strongly with.

What ideas come to mind when you imagine equality within a food system?

Participant 1 said that equality is not what has happened where people gatekeep
who gets what on a basis of arbitrary things and that equality is defined by getting
everyone the things they need in layman's terms. Participant 2 asked for an elaboration
of the question and used Feeding Tampa Bay as an example of an organization that
does right by doing the stuff required for everyone in their community. They also
added to what Participant 1 had to say by stressing the importance of expressing equality
and outreach in all means instead of limiting what they try to do with the food.
Participant 3 added on saying that equality means that every community has accessible
methods for others to buy/obtain food and get the help they need. All participants were in
agreement with each other and have showed cohesiveness in making a point of equality
in a food system being about no limitations and as much access to food as possible.

What are your thoughts on umbrella organizations?

Participant 1 felt that umbrella organizations are a positive thing in that it keeps a lot of smaller
Blocks working together to form the overall picture of what they’d want to see for the future.
Participant 3 added a countering point that the bad thing alongside its good aspects is not
allowing other organizations to have a spotlight. Participant 2 added to Participant 3’s point by
stating the difficulty of keeping track of all of the organizations that fall under the umbrella.
Participant answers were generally positive towards umbrella organizations but aware of
some of the consequences and concerns that come with it.

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What impacts do you think education on food policy would have on people?

Participant 1 felt as though educating people on policy and precautions is a good thing, and it
aids in making informed decisions. Participant 3 believes education is important to get an
understanding of policy and being more educated on food policy will better help their
community, themselves, and their families. The participants acknowledged that more education
in food policy is beneficial.

What is your attitude towards the quality of food accessible to Floridians?

Participant 1 expressed that eating is a human right and not something that is gifted. Participant 2
mentioned that Florida has a lot of natural food sources that should be accessible to everyone.
Participant 3 went into great detail about food affordability and how fast food is significantly
cheaper than natural, healthier foods. The participants also acknowledged that it is important for
people to grow their own food and know exactly where their food comes from.

How would you describe your feelings about racial inequality? Especially in the
circumstance of everyone being treated fairly in a food system and getting that kind of
accessibility.

All the participants agreed that it is unfortunate that the food system experiences racial
inequality. Participant 1 notices that certain groups of people are often not as prioritized as others
when it comes to food accessibility. Participant 2 emphasized the lack of resources impoverished
communities have. They listed healthy grocery store examples such as Trader Joe's, Sprouts, and
Whole Foods that are not found in disadvantaged communities; instead, many of these
communities have small convenience stores that sell overly processed foods. Participant 3
believes that through education, people would be more aware of the foods they are consuming
and understand the disadvantages some people face regarding racial inequality in the food
system.

Interests:

What roles within the food system pique your interest the most? Please explain.

Participant 1 expressed that farming and food preparation pique their interests the most. The
participant said that they are the most crucial part of the food system and that she is involved in
preparing food. Participant 2 agreed about the roles being exciting and essential parts of the food
system. Whether she is engaged in food preparation cannot be determined because she only
stated, "I agree." Therefore, half the number of participants had the most interest in the roles of
farming and food preparation within the food system. The other half had no comment and did not
offer any insights into the question.

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What would make you interested in learning about food policy?

Three out of four participants offered valuable insights about what they would be interested in
learning about and why. Participant 1 wants to learn about how food policy can be used in life
and how they can use it. Participant 2 stated that they wanted to get more educated on how it
affects them and how it can help others. Participant 3 pointed out that not many people are aware
of food policies in place and that there should be a general awareness of what goes in the food
we consume. The fourth participant agreed with the statements given by the other three
participants. A common theme between all of the answers is that all the participants want to
know how food policy affects them personally, even if their reasoning may be different. There
was also a commonality between Participants 2 and 3, as they both expressed concern for how it
would impact others apart from themselves.

How would you feel about advocating for racial equality in the food system?

Participant 1 said that it is important from personal experience and that there is a lot of diversity
in the kitchen. However, the participant pointed out that advocating for more interracial
interaction at fancy places would be good. Participant 2 said that advertisements should include
more diversity to promote racial equality in food systems. Participant 3 said she agreed with the
participants before her. Three out of four participants think that advocating for racial equality in
the food system is essential and can be seen more. One out of four participants had no comment
on the matter.

What organizations, if any, are you aware of that provide outreach concerning food
insecurity?

Three out of four participants mentioned the local food organization, "Feeding Tampa Bay."
Participant 1 used the words "food kitchens," whereas participants 2 and 3 used "food pantries."
Participant 1 knows of a college food pantry. Participant 2 mentioned food pantries done by an
elementary school and a church. It is conclusive that half the participants are aware of
educational facilities that provide outreach concerning food insecurity. Participant 3
demonstrated awareness of how many pantries around the country are connected to "Feeding
America." Participant 3 was not only aware of "Feeding Tampa Bay" but is also heavily involved
with the initiative as an ambassador. All participants are aware of organizations that provide
outreach to those facing food insecurity, as Participant 4 agreed with every other participant's
response.

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What is your awareness level of current food policies?

All of the participants admitted to having little to no knowledge about food policies. Half the
number of respondents, Participants 2 and 3, said they would like more education on the topic.
Participant one said they know about the food preparation side but not about policy and its
relation to the public.

How important do you think education on food policy is and why?

All participants feel that education on food policy is essential and needs more prioritization.
Participant 1 mentioned that since no one in the focus group knew what the moderators meant by
food policy, there is an educational gap on the topic that needs addressing. Half of the
respondents, Participants 2 and 4, think that knowing more about what's in the food they
consume is vital. The discussion left Participant 2 wondering about what's happening with the
food and where it's coming from. Participant 4 seems to care about expanding knowledge on
food policy because of how frequently we all consume it in our bodies.

Communication and Preferences:

What social media platforms are you most active on? And please, please describe what you
like in terms of content.

Participant 1 stated that they are most active on Pinterest and YouTube. They claim that a lot of
the content they consume is around commentary and just talks about a lot of really undercover
things or things more specific to that platform. Participant 2 stated that they are mostly on Tik
Tok, Instagram, and Twitter. Participant 3 said they are on Snapchat and Twitter, describing that
they aren’t too sure if they are educating people on those platforms because they feel that
sometimes, it works.

What kind of topics do you follow on social media?

Participant 1 stated that they follow a lot of things, such as black-owned businesses and
LGBTQ+-owned businesses, as well as ethical businesses. Participant 2 stated that they follow
fitness groups, mostly family and friends, and people with the same interests. Participant 3 said
that they agree with Participant 2. Participant 3 stated that they follow people with the same
interests as them. Participant 3 follows some organizations like Feeding Tampa Bay and Black
Lives Matter and saving the reefs. They follow these organizations because they do
post-education on facts. Participant 4 stated that they primarily use Instagram, and they’re
following friends and family and different universities.

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What are your favorite places to follow significant events, and why?

Participant 1 stated that, ironically, they like to go and use smaller channels on YouTube, not
necessarily small, as in a few 1000. But, ones that have been proven journalistically to be very
centralist. Participant 2 stated that they follow CNN and other reliable news sources. Participant
2 also added that Twitter's also an excellent way to follow the news because they usually do
minute-by-minute updates. Participant 3 agreed with Participants 1 and 2 and had no comments.
Participant 4 also had no comment.

What communication styles do you find most effective? Examples are Instagram stories,
Instagram-like posts, Twitter posts, Facebook posts, LinkedIn updates, etc.

Participant 1 stated that they convert combinations between video and text posts. They added
that it just depends on the video bibliographies involved. Participant 2 said that they prefer
Twitter. Participant 2 described it as easier to communicate there, and many people comment and
have good threads. Participant 3 stated that they agree with those sites and Instagram but find
that YouTube is significant because you can send something different, send links, and anyone
can watch without even having an account, making it effective. Participant 4 stated that they
personally like Instagram posts and Instagram Stories.

How often would you like to see informational advertisements?

Participant 1 stated that it depends on whether they make an advertisement. As long as the
advertisements are more personable and recommend more sponsoring-related creators than
straight-up advertising, you're more likely to get my ear that way. Participant 2 stated that they
agree with Participant 1. Participant 2 would be more intrigued if it were a sponsored advertising
from someone that I see usually or an ad that uses themselves as the advertising. Participant 3
stated that they had no comment. Participant 4 agreed with Participant 2.

What methods of communication do you find most attention-grabbing?

Participant 1 claimed to be a multitasker, and often, they’re looking for something specific.
Additionally, Participant 1 added that they’re very susceptible to that kind of advertisement
(sponsored products). Participant 2 stated that they agree with Participant 2. Participant 3 said
that they prefer voice, given that podcasts are becoming relevant and popular. Additionally,
multitasking is a considerable aspect of today’s culture, so that type of advertising can be very
effective. Participant 4 agreed with Participant 3.

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2. FLFPC Executive Board Communication Audit

a. Method: The Communication Audit for the Florida Food Policy Council was sent to the
executive board members in order to establish a coherent understanding of their views on
the organization. The audit was distributed through Qualtrics and it consisted of nine
questions that required short answer responses from the executive board members. The
Communication Audit allowed for the research team to get a better insight of what the
executive board members believe are some internal and external problems that the
FLFPC faces.

b. Results (below):

1.What are the organization's missions?

The FLFPC board members have all stated that they work to address gaps and affect policy
within the food system through integrity and collaboration for the benefit of all Floridians and
the environment. They noted that they are a grassroots organization formed to act as a resource
for residents and elected officials within the state of Florida on the topic of food policy.

2. What are the organization's strengths and weaknesses?

The strengths that the FLFPC board members addressed are:

Commitment, Energy, and Leadership
Convening, Networking, Popular Education, and Advocacy
A thought leader in the state and a trusted expert in food systems and policy.

The weaknesses that the FLFPC board members addressed are:

a. Resources
b. Funding and Fundraising
c. Project Management
d. Not enough staff
e. Developing a process and procedures

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3. What are the opportunities and threats that the current environment presents for the
organization?

The opportunities that the FLFPC board members addressed are:

a. Resources and funding
b. Partnerships with municipalities and universities (e.g., USF Food Sovereignty Group UF
IFAS)
c. Youth-led education projects via social media
d. Food system journalism projects
e. Footprint across the state
f. Developing regional food policy councils; many more opportunities

The threats that the FLFPC board members addressed are:

a. Power of big AG; indifference of State Officials
b. Becoming irrelevant because of lack of action or tangible impacts
c. Other organizations fulfilling the void
d. Internal disorganization
e. Racism, money and lack of board members

4. Who are the organization's key publics, with prioritization?

FLFPC board members have concluded that the organization’s key publics (in order of
prioritization) are social justice organizations that advocate for equitable livability in housing,
transportation, wages, and food, municipalities engaged in food system changes, organizations
who operate local food projects such as urban farms, community gardens, farmers markets, faith
organizations who operate pantries, black and indigenous farmers, farm workers, immigrant and
refugee agriculture community.

5. What does the organization want from each key public and what does each key public
want from the organization?

The FLFPC board members concluded that the organization wants the following:
a. Community members - volunteers partnerships
b. Local governments - resolutions around Food policies
c. FDACS - FL Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services - partnerships,
assistance and funding
d. Foundations partnerships, assistance and funding
e. Funders Partnerships, assistance and funding

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6. What is the process (if any) for setting the annual or on-going public relations plan?

The FLFPC board members said that they are currently working with an organization on a public
relations plan that can be integrated into their strategic plan. One of the members mentions that
when setting a plan there is a consultation between the President and the Board of Directors. The
agenda is then implemented by administrators.

7. What is the current (if any) public relations plan (with objectives and tactics)?

The FLFPC board members express that there is not a public relations plan in place or that they
are unaware of a public relations plan in place.

8. What research activities and evaluative activities do the organization do to inform its
communication practices?

The FLFPC board members said that they like to look at other organizations or food policy
councils to get an idea of how to communicate effectively.

9. Do you feel the communication function is important? Why?

The FLFPC board members all believed that the communication function is essential. One of the
members expressed that it is critical because food issues can get very personal and lead to
misunderstandings quickly. Another member felt that it is vital because it helps tell a story of
self.

B. Quantitative Research
1. Hillsborough County Survey

a. Method: The quantitative research was conducted via an online survey that was sent out
through Qualtircs to Hillsborough County residents. The survey asked the residents
questions regarding their attitudes, beliefs, and understanding when it came to Florida
Food Policy. Hillsborough County residents from all ages, genders, races, and income
levels were welcomed to take the survey in order to get a wide variety of data and a
clearer picture of what individuals think in regards to food policy.

b. Results: The quantitative findings from the survey show that there is a low involvement
from respondents that are white, middle-aged, educated, and have a high income. A key
result was that the respondents leaned liberal. There is a higher response rate from
women, and they seem to have more awareness when it comes to equality gaps in the
food system. There are significant differences between males and females in seeking out
information on issues the Florida Food Policy Council aims to combat. Generally,
Hillsborough residents feel they should have access to quality food. Hillsborough
residents somewhat feel as if there are equality gaps within the food system.

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 Results Continued:

Item Statistics

Mean Std. Deviation N

My attitude toward 4.00 1.660 314

Florida’s food policy is: -
Dissatisfied:Satisfied

My attitude toward 4.01 1.597 314

Florida’s food policy is: -
Negative:Positive

My attitude toward 3.96 1.641 314

Florida’s food policy is: -
Unfavorable:Favorable

Item-Total Statistics

Scale Scale
Mean if Variance if Corrected Cronbach's
Item Item Item-Total Alpha if Item
Deleted Deleted Correlation Deleted

My attitude toward 7.97 10.149 .946 .967

Florida’s food policy
is: -
Dissatisfied:Satisfied

My attitude toward 7.96 10.561 .945 .968

Florida’s food policy
is: - Negative:Positive

My attitude toward 8.02 10.207 .956 .960

Florida’s food policy
is: -
Unfavorable:Favorabl
e

18
 Item Statistics

Mean Std. Deviation N

My attitude towards the 3.86 .961 299

Florida Food Policy Council
is: - Dissatisfied:Satisfied

My attitude towards the 3.87 .947 299

Florida Food Policy Council
is: - Negative:Positive

My attitude towards the 3.87 .961 299

Florida Food Policy Council
is: - Unfavorable:Favorable

Item-Total Statistics

Scale
Mean if Scale Corrected Cronbach's
Item Variance if Item-Total Alpha if
Deleted Item Deleted Correlation Item Deleted

My attitude towards the 7.75 3.553 .953 .975

Florida Food Policy
Council is: -
Dissatisfied:Satisfied

My attitude towards the 7.74 3.604 .954 .975

Florida Food Policy
Council is: -
Negative:Positive

My attitude towards the 7.74 3.517 .968 .965

Florida Food Policy
Council is:
-Unfavorable:Favorable

19
 Awareness Of Florida Food Policy Council

Frequency Percent Valid Percent

Valid Yes 28 7.5 7.9

No 325 87.6 92.1

Total 353 95.1 100.0

Mean Scores Of Composite Attitude Measures

Std.
Minim Maximu Mea Deviatio
N um m n n

Attitude toward Policy 314 1.00 7.00 3.991 1.59581

5

Attitude toward Florida Food Policy 299 1.00 7.00 3.869 .93869
Council 6

Valid N (listwise) 289

20
 Intention To Seek Information About FLFPC

Minim Maximu Std.

N um m Mean Deviation

I will seek more 370 1 5 3.18 1.160

information about the
Florida Food Policy
Council.

Valid N (listwise) 370

Overall SWOT Analysis:

Strengths(Internal):
● Commitment to their missions and goals
● Leadership
● Convening and networking
● Advocacy for groups who need support or justice

Weakness(Internal):
● Board members don’t know what their target publics want from them
● No public relations strategy or plan
● Organization is not conducting research and does not have an on-going public relations
strategy or plan.

Opportunities(External):
● The participants in the focus group believed that many of the organization’s focus points
are essential.
● The focus group participants were mostly in agreement about the significance of racial
equality, education on food policy, and knowledge regarding their food sources.
● Most focus group participants admitted to having little to no knowledge about food
policy but felt that education on food policy is essential.

Threats(External):
● Target publics lack of awareness about the organization and about food policy
● There was a strong awareness about organizations that provide outreach to those facing
food insecurity. However, the Florida Food Policy Council was not mentioned when the
participants elaborated on the organizations that provide outreach.
● Lower involvement in the issue of food insecurity from survey respondents with higher
incomes.

21
 Part III: The Strategic Plan

Strategic Plan:

Problem Statement:
The Florida Food Policy Council strives to educate the public on food policy. Currently the
council suffers from low engagement from the community thought to be a result of a lack of
awareness of its existence and benefit to the communities among Florida residents. After
conducting qualitative and quantitative studies, one can conclude that most people feel they lack
education about food policy. Our quantitative analyses show that there is low involvement in the
issue of food insecurity among middle-aged white people who are educated and have a high
income. Targeting families in high-income neighborhoods would be effective as women seem to
be more aware about issues within the food system than men.

Campaign Goal Statement:

Our goal is to first increase awareness amongst Hillsborough County residents of educational
opportunities for those interested in learning about food policy, and second increase involvement
in the council's mission and activities. Specifically, this campaign seeks involvement of members
of high-income families on the issue of food insecurity throughout Hillsborough County.

Objective Statement: To increase awareness of the Florida Food Policy Council from 8 percent
to 25 percent among Hillsborough County residents.

Strategies/Tactics:
Our campaign will achieve this objective by developing and disseminating communication
materials designed to raise awareness of the importance of getting involved in the issue of food
insecurity.

a. Distribute a fact sheet containing the information as to how the FLFPC impacts the
community.
b. “All Floridians deserve access to food” Posters of children, teenagers, and young adults
facing food insecurity. (This could appeal to mothers in high-income neighborhoods who
would convince their husbands to get involved in the issue.)
c. “Food Policy is Food Quality”- A social media campaign with goals to get members of
high-income neighborhoods to sign petitions that will appeal to legislators.
d. Links to social media handles, press releases, media kit, e-newsletters.etc.
e. T-shirts with FLFPC logos and slogan

22
Objective Statement: To encourage direct community involvement in high-income
neighborhoods by 25 percent. Therefore, the mean score would increase from 3.88 to 4.88.

Strategic/Tactics:

a. A fundraising sporting event where all proceeds go to Feeding Tampa Bay or FLFPC.
b. Encourage HomeOwner Association boards and leaders to organize a food drive. A
competitive food drive between neighborhoods hosted by the FLFPC.
c. Organizing field trips through Hillsborough County public schools that host clubs such as
4-H clubs (youth organizations whose mission is "engaging youth to reach their fullest
potential while advancing the field of youth development") and FBLA (Future Business
Leaders of America)

Creative Executions (a few examples from the strategies/tactics above):

Poster: Fundraising Sporting Event:

23
 Part IV: Appendix & Raw Data
Appendix A:
Focus Group Transcript

Introduction/Ground Rules:

Moderator #1: Hello. My name is Moderator #1. We are Team 2. I’d like to thank each of you for
taking the time to participate today. We’ll be here for about an hour.

We’re here today to gather your opinions and attitudes about issues related to food insecurity and
inequality.

I’m going to lead our discussion today. I will be asking you questions and then encouraging and
moderating our discussion.

I also would like you to know that this focus group will be tape-recorded. The identities of all
participants will remain confidential. The recording allows us to revisit our discussion to develop
research papers and presentations.

To allow our conversation to flow more freely, I’d like to go over some ground rules.
1. Only one person speaks at a time. Everyone having a chance to speak is doubly important as
our goal is to make a written transcript of our conversation today. It is difficult to capture
everyone’s experience and perspective on our audio recording if there are multiple voices at
once.
2. Please avoid side conversations.
3. Everyone doesn’t have to answer every single question, but I’d like to hear from each of you
today as the discussion progresses.
4. This is a confidential discussion in that I will not report your names or who said what to your
colleagues or supervisors. We will not include the names of participants in the final report about
this meeting. Everything that we discuss in this room stays in the room. We will simply draw
information to come to generalizations and conclusions.
5. We stress confidentiality because we want an open discussion. We want all of you to feel free
to comment on each other’s remarks without fear your comments will be brought up later and
possibly taken out of context.
6. There are no “wrong answers,” just different opinions. Say what is true for you, even if you’re
the only one who feels that way. Don’t let the group sway you. But if you do change your mind,
let me know.
7. Are there any questions?

24
Beliefs (subject to MINOR modifications for sentence structure and coherency):

Moderator #1: Hello. My name is Moderator #1. We are Team 2. I’d like to thank each of you for
taking the time to participate today. We’ll be here for about an hour.

We’re here today to gather your opinions and attitudes about issues related to food insecurity and
inequality.

I’m going to lead our discussion today. I will be asking you questions and then encouraging and
moderating our discussion.

I also would like you to know that this focus group will be tape-recorded. The identities of all
participants will remain confidential. The recording allows us to revisit our discussion to develop
research papers and presentations.

To allow our conversation to flow more freely, I’d like to go over some ground rules.
1. Only one person speaks at a time. Everyone having a chance to speak is doubly important as
our goal is to make a written transcript of our conversation today. It is difficult to capture
everyone’s experience and perspective on our audio recording if multiple people speak at once.
2. Please avoid side conversations.
3. Everyone doesn’t have to answer every single question, but I’d like to hear from each of you
today as the discussion progresses.
4. This is a confidential discussion in that I will not report your names or who said what to your
colleagues or supervisors. We will not include the names of participants in the final report about
this meeting. Everything that we discuss in this room stays in the room. We will simply draw
information to come to generalizations and conclusions.
5. We stress confidentiality because we want an open discussion. We want all of you to feel free
to comment on each other’s remarks without fear your comments will be brought up later and
possibly taken out of context.
6. There are no “wrong answers,” just different opinions. Say what is true for you, even if you’re
the only one who feels that way. Don’t let the group sway you. But if you do change your mind,
let me know.
7. Are there any questions?

25
Moderator 1: Awesome. So, we are going to start with Beliefs. Just for context, we are helping
FLFPC (Florida Food Policy Council). They are the umbrella organization looking after all the
food organizations in Florida that try to do food outreach, prevent environmental degradation,
increase racial equality, etc. Everything concerning food and the ethical issues behind food and
whatnot, so we will ask you a lot of those things. So, thus we are going to start with a
conversation about beliefs.

Moderator 1: What comes to mind when hearing the word advocacy?

Participant 1: I guess just essentially “standing up” and expressing my opinions for my certain
beliefs

Participant 2: I agree with Participant 1 when speaking up and being an advocate for others.

Participant 3: I agree with both of them as well. The main thing would be believing in yourself.
In order to speak up, that takes a lot of courage to actually come out and say your opinion. I feel
that’s important.

Participant 4: I believe advocacy is basically standing up for what you believe is right or wrong.

Moderator 1: Awesome, all great answers! The next question is what ideas come to mind when you imagine
equality within a food system?

Participant 1: I guess not going and gatekeeping who gets what based on arbitrary things and
trying to get everyone the things they need.

Participant 2: Can you repeat the question?

Participant 1: Sure, no problem. What ideas come to mind when you imagine
equality within a food system? So, within a system where people are handed food and dealing with that
accessibility and affordability, what do you imagine equality within that means?

Participant 2: I know about Feeding Tampa Bay which is here. They are a really big non-profit
organization. They are really important and do a lot of stuff for the community.
Going off what Participant 1 said, it’s really important to kind of express that throughout the community
and not gatekeeper what they are trying to do with the food.

Participant 3: Yeah, and just to go off both of them, that every community has accessible ways to
buy food and get food and get the help that they need.
Participant 4: I agree with all of them.

26
Moderator 1: What are your thoughts on umbrella organizations? Organizations that act as this
generality are a kind of mother organization to support many others in different situations.

Participant 1: I feel umbrella organizations can be a good thing because it keeps a lot of smaller
blocks working together to form a kind of house or a general picture that they want to see in the
future.

Participant 3: I think umbrella organizations can be a good thing and a bad thing because it also
doesn’t allow the other organizations to kind of have a spotlight, if that makes sense.

Participant 2: I think it is kind of hard to keep track of what organizations there are under the
umbrella.

Moderator 1: Also, from now on, can people say no comment to make the flow a bit easier as we
go through responses?

Participant 4: No comment.

Moderator 1: What impacts do you think education on food policy would have on people?

Participant 1: As someone coming from a more culinary background, I think that educating
anyone about policy and precautions and stuff like that is always a good thing.

Participant 2: No comment.

Participant 3: So, education is really important in every aspect because if someone doesn’t know
something because they aren’t taught, and they aren’t told, then they are obviously not going to
do that or know anything about it or follow that policy. So, I think education is really important
so people know what they are getting themselves into or what they know so they can either
improve, help their community, help themselves, or help their families. So yeah.

Participant 4: I agree.

Participant 1: I think it helps to make informed decisions

Moderator 1: What is your attitude towards the quality of food accessible to Floridians?

Participant 1: I think that eating is a human right. It shouldn’t be something that is gifted or
cherry-picked depending on anything, and I think that everyone has the right to eat.

27
Participant 2: I agree, and I think that us being in Florida, we have accessibility to natural food
sources, and I think everyone should be accessible to that and just healthy food in general.

Participant 3: I think being in Florida, we have access to the food, but not everyone can afford
the food, so that leaves a boundary between people that being able to eat healthy and people that
are not able to eat healthy because not even specifically in Florida but in America we love to do
fast food being that it is cheaper than vegetables and healthy food and it just doesn’t help the
community at all, and we always preach on helping others, and everyone stay healthy and fit, but
this has been a trend forever and it honestly keeps getting worse because the prices of groceries
keep increasing and people still can’t afford to eat, so it’s just kind of ridiculous.

Participant 2: Just to piggyback off of that, that’s why I think it’s important that people can try to
grow their own resources that way, they don’t have to go to the store and purchase it at a
ridiculous amount at like stores and name brands and stuff like that.

Participant 4: I agree with everyone. Piggybacking off of the fast-food thing, it’s a lot easier to
pick up a quick meal at a fast-food place than cook a meal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, which
I think is a problem with accessibility.

Moderator 1: Yeah, time is money, as they say. Awesome. And lastly, how would you describe your feelings
about racial inequality? Especially in the circumstance of everyone being treated fairly in a food system
and getting that kind of accessibility.

Participant 1: It makes me extremely angry and frustrated to know that someone who have a skin
tone like me is going to get priority over a lot of other groups, and it homes in the fact that I also
have to go out of my way to make sure that other people are eating because there are too many
people, especially in Florida that do not agree with that.

Participant 2: I definitely agree with Participant #1.

Participant 3: I agree as well. I mean, I definitely see a difference in my life, like when I see
people with inequality in my life and it's very upsetting. I don’t know what more we can do
because there are so many organizations trying to help, trying to get the word out, trying to raise
awareness, but it definitely is still there, and I don’t know a solution to it.

Participant 2: To piggyback off of Participant #3, it’s really true that there is inequality out there.
You don’t see Trader Joe’s everywhere, Sprouts, or Whole Foods in every community and
sometimes it’s just little convenience stores that have processed foods and stuff like that.

28
Participant 1: I think awareness, as Participant #3 said, is really the keyword because there are a
lot of resources out there, but there isn’t enough awareness for people who have the privilege of
not needing them to support those organizations.

Participant 3: Going back to that, there are also different grocery stores in the different
communities. Those communities don’t have the education, and the policymakers and our
leaders don't want to help, and it starts with them because they are at the top, and they don’t want
to help those types of people, so that’s why it’s kind of never going to change. It starts with
education going back to that if the people aren’t educated, they’re not going to know what’s right
or wrong, so that’s the main issue. That’s why they don’t have the same resources, and that’s why
there are inequalities in these communities because they aren’t educated like these other races
are.

Moderator 1: Yeah, I agree.

Participant 4: No comment.

Moderator 1: Awesome, that covers it for beliefs. You have all been amazing through this. So
now we will move on to Interests which Ayanna will lead.

Interests: (subject to MINOR modifications for sentence structure and coherency)

Moderator 2: Hi everyone, so jumping into it, what roles within the food system pique your
interest the most? Please explain.

Participant 1: Uh, mine has to be farming and preparing it. Farming is the most crucial part and
the actual act of preparing it because that's the part I take part in, so those are the most important.

Participant 2: I agree with number 1.

Participant 3: No comment.

Participant 4: No comment.

Moderator 2: Alrighty. Thank you, guys. The next question is, "What would make you interested
in learning about food policy?"

Participant 1: Uh, probably learning how to use it in everyday life or how it's useful to me.

29
Participant 2: Getting more education in general about it, how it affects me, and how it helps
others, and just getting more educated on it.

Participant 3: I just think many people, including myself, don't know about food policies or what
chemicals or ingredients are in certain foods, so it's really important to understand what we're
actually consuming and how it affects our bodies.

Participant 4: I agree with what they said.

Moderator 2: Okay, thank you guys, really good answers. Third question, how would you feel
about advocating for racial equality in the food system?

Participant 1: I think that is extremely important from personal experience. It's been a lot of
interracial contact within the kitchen, but if I go to like the fancy grocery stores, it's not, so I
think an equal footing would be very important and a really good point of advocacy.

Participant 2: I think that just like in the advertising, it's good to show more races and just show
different kinds of people and that it's common for everyone to access it.

Participant 3: I agree with them.

Participant 4: No comment.

Moderator 2: Next question, what organizations, if any, are you aware of that provide outreach
concerning food insecurity?

Participant 1: Uh, this is more something from where I'm from, across the peninsula. For me, it
was my local community college's food kitchen and then a food kitchen that I always drive by.
For here, it would be Feed Tampa Bay.

Participant 2: Could you repeat the question one more time?

Moderator 2: Of course. What organizations, if any, are you aware of that provide outreach
concerning food insecurity?

Participant 2: Um, feed the bulls. I live near plant city, and there are a lot of food pantries. My
mom works at an elementary school, so they do a lot of food pantries. My church does food
drives and stuff like that, and it's accessible to anyone and everyone.

30
Participant 3: So, Feeding America is like the biggest one in the United States, and they source a
lot of the pantries around America. If you look at the big pantries in each city and state, they are
linked to Feeding America. Locally, Feeding Tampa Bay is the biggest one I know of. I am an
ambassador there, so I help with food distribution and stuff.

Participant 4: I agree with them.

Participant 1: Also, I am aware that most churches have food pantries as well, so that is also
something that I am aware of when I think of local food organizations that deal with food
scarcity.

Moderator 2: The next question is, what is your awareness level of current food policies?

Participant 1: Uh, I would say I used to know a lot more on the preparation side, and I still know
a lot more on the preparation side. I don't necessarily know what all the policies are in relation to
the public.

Participant 2: I have very little education on that, but I would love to learn more about it if it was
brought to my attention.

Participant 3: I agree as well. I don't really know anything about food policy, so I would like to
educate myself more on that topic.

Participant 4: Same. On a scale from one to ten, I am probably at one.

Moderator 2: Sounds good. Thank you all. We're on the last question now. How important do
you think education on food policy is and why?

Participant 1: I think that considering none of us really know what you mean by food policy, it
kind of says there is a huge gap in our education; that is definitely something that we should be
prioritizing.

Participant 2: I agree, and it should be more of a happening conversation to everyone; this way,
we all know what's going on with our food, where it's coming from, and what resources are in it.

Participant 3: Yes, for sure. /

Participant 4: I agree. I feel like I should get more educated on it because food is something we
all put in our bodies every day, multiple times a day. So, I probably should know more than I do.

31
Moderator 2: Alright. Thank you guys so much for all your answers. They sounded great. And
for the last section of the focus group. I will pass the baton over to Olivia for communication and
preferences.

Communication and Preferences:

Moderator 3: Hello, everyone. So the first question is, what social media platforms are you most
active on? And please, please describe what you like in terms of content.

Participant 1: I am most active on Pinterest and YouTube. A lot of the content that I consume in
both of those is stuff that is really around commentary and just talks about a lot of really
undercover things or things that are more specific to that platform.

Participant 2: I think I'm most on like, Tik-Tok and just Instagram sometimes and Twitter,
definitely Twitter.

Participant 3: I'm definitely on Snapchat, Twitter, take a break, which I'm not really sure if I'm,
like kind of educating people on those platforms helps because I just feel like sometimes it
works. Sometimes it doesn't.

Moderator 3: I like all of your answers; very thorough. What kind of topics do you follow on
social media?
Participant 1: I follow a lot of things like black-owned businesses and just kind of
LGBTQ-owned businesses as well as ethical businesses.

Participant 2: I follow fitness groups and mostly like family and friends and just kind of like
people that have the same interests as me.

Participant 3: I agree that I follow people that have the same interests as me, kind of like the
same things as me. I also do follow some organizations feeding Tampa Bay and Black Lives
Matter and saving the reefs and stuff like that because they do post-education on facts. And like I
do follow some news as well, to keep up with that since I don't really watch TV because that's
where I don't get my news off of social media sites from random people. I get my news from
news outlets. The difference, but yeah.

Participant 4: I didn't ask him the question before, but I use Instagram primarily, and on there, I
follow friends and family, and then I follow different universities.

Moderator 3: I love those great answers. What are your favorite places to follow significant
events, and why?

32
Participant 1: Ironically, I like to go and use smaller channels on YouTube, not necessarily small
as in like a few 1000 But kind of ones that have been proven journalistically to be very centralist.
And I tend to try to get my information from places like that because they're less likely to be
trying to manipulate the narrative in quite the same way.

Participant 2: Yeah, try to follow like CNN, like reliable resources and stuff like that. And
Twitter's also like a good way for the popcorn to follow people because they usually do like
minute-by-minute updates and stuff like that on a lot of important things.

Participant 3: I agree with all of them. So, no comment.

Participant 4: No comment.

Moderator 3: All right. The next question is, what communication styles do you find most
effective?

Participant 1: Um, what do you- can you define communication styles.

Moderator 3: So in terms of style, I would say more like, for example, Instagram story
Instagram, like posts, Twitter posts, Facebook, LinkedIn updates, etc.

Participant 1: I use a convert combination between video and text posts. It really just depends on
the video bibliographies kind of involved in those, and that's kind of more where I tell.

Participant 2: Yeah, like, kinda like my last answer. I like the Twitter browser better. It's just like
text answers and text updates. And like you can, I feel like it's just easier to communicate on
there, and a lot of people like to like, comment, and they have like good threads and stuff like
that on Twitter.

Participant 3: I agree with those sites as well, and Instagram but not a lot of people have
Instagram, and it's starting like I found that a lot of people are especially like in our generation
don’t use it, so like, I know, the generations above us definitely don't have it. But I think
YouTube is very important because you can send something different, like you can post videos
and then just send links, and anyone can watch without even having an account. So, I think that's
the most like effective

Participant 4: I personally like Instagram posts and Instagram Stories.

33
Moderator 3: Those are all excellent answers. So, thank you for that. And the last question for
the communication preferences section of the focus group is how often would you like to see
informational advertisements?

Participant 1: Ah, I guess it really depends on if they make an advertisement or not, because one
thing that I pay to remove advertisements, I'm one of those people. So, I guess as long as it's
more personable and I would recommend more sponsoring related creators versus straight-up
advertising because you're more likely to get my ear that way.

Participant 2: Yeah, I want to agree with number one that I would probably be more intrigued if
it were like sponsored advertising from someone that I see usually or like that ad is like using
them as the like advertising. I do get swamped on my Instagram feed with just a whole bunch of
random ads and stuff like that.

Participant 3: No comment.

Participant 4: I agree with number two.

Moderator 3: That's good. I actually did skip a question. So, this is the last question, and I
promise that's it for this section. What methods of communication do you find? Most
attention-grabbing?

Participant 1: Probably voice because I'm a multitasker. So, a lot of the time, I'm specifically
looking for something specific. I'm not going to be going and reading. I'm going to be listening
to something.

Participant 2: I agree with number one.

Participant 3: I believe in voice as well. Um, it's like podcasts are also becoming so popular, and
they fit advertisers into podcasts. And you can't skip, so you have to like to listen to it. And I
think it's very like that's a new way to advertise because, like I said, multitasking. People are just
doing all this stuff. They can still listen, and it goes in one ear, and you might remember it when
you're at the store. Oh, I heard about that on the podcast, but yeah, it's important to advertise.

Participant 4: I agree.

Moderator 3: Yes, number one?

Participant 1: Specifically, I wanted to add that I have even bought sponsored products with links
from creators that have been sponsored. So I will say that I'm definitely very susceptible to that
kind of advertisement. So I thought that would just be a good thing to add.

34
Participant 3: Yeah, I think everyone is kind of like that. Like if you see your favorite creator
rapper Song Artist. They promote something you're like; oh if they're promoting it, it has to be
done. Let me go try it. I've fallen in that trap a lot. Sometimes it's good, and sometimes it's not
good.
Also, with their clothing and the perfume that they come out with, everyone wants to smell it or
try like they haven't, so it's just kind of like the influence of who that person is advertising it.

Participant 1: I definitely got into the native deodorant because they added the plastic-free, and
it was only through one specific reader that told me that they need purchasing.

Participant 2: I've purchased that d into number one.

Moderator 3: Alright, thank you guys so much. I will hand it back over to Miguel to make our
closing comments.

Closing Comments:

Moderator 1: Thank you so much for pushing through that format. It's tough doing this virtual, so
I appreciate all of you pushing through. Thank you for coming in today. Your comments have
given us perspective and other ways to think about things for FLFPC.

Any final comments or questions?

Participant 1: I think there does need to be more information on the difference between food
insecurity versus actually not having food and starving because that is a critical distinction
because knowing that you will have another meal while also not knowing when that will be is
very different from not knowing if you’ll have another meal.

Participant 2: I agree with Participant #1, and also, I think after this, I will be more interested in
being educated about food policy and what it's about, and how I can educate others on it as well.

Thank you for your time! You have made this process easy and informative for us! Have a nice
day!

35
 Appendix B
Survey Results

1.Demographic Survey Respondents

Respondents are largely middle-aged (M=50 years), white, educated, and high income. You will
see in later data analysis that this demographic is also low involvement and low active behavior
on the issue of food insecurity. A campaign goal is to increase involvement in this group.

What is your gender?

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent

Valid Female 198 53.4 53.5 53.5

Male 145 39.1 39.2 92.7

I choose not to share. 15 4.0 4.1 96.8

Non-binary 12 3.2 3.2 100.0

Total 370 99.7 100.0

Missing System 1 .3

Total 371 100.0

36
 What is your ethnicity?

Valid Cumulative
Frequency Percent Percent Percent

Valid White 243 65.5 66.6 66.6

Hispanic 38 10.2 10.4 77.0

Black or 30 8.1 8.2 85.2

African
American

Other 27 7.3 7.4 92.6

Mixed 18 4.9 4.9 97.5

Asian or Pacific 7 1.9 1.9 99.5

Islander

American 2 .5 .5 100.0
Indian or
Alaskan Native

Total 365 98.4 100.0

Missing System 6 1.6

Total 371 100.0

37
 What is your education level?

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent

Valid High School diploma 24 6.5 6.6 6.6

Some college 65 17.5 17.8 24.3

Associate's degree 35 9.4 9.6 33.9

Bachelor's degree 117 31.5 32.0 65.8

Master's degree 97 26.1 26.5 92.3

Ph.D. or equivalent 28 7.5 7.7 100.0

Total 366 98.7 100.0

Missing System 5 1.3

Total 371 100.0

38
 What is your annual household income?

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent

Valid Below $25,000 18 4.9 5.3 5.3

$26,000-$50,000 70 18.9 20.5 25.8

$51,000-$75,000 68 18.3 19.9 45.7

$76,000-$100,000 51 13.7 15.0 60.7

Over $100,000 134 36.1 39.3 100.0

Total 341 91.9 100.0

Missing System 30 8.1

Total 371 100.0

39
 Descriptive Statistics

N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation

What is your age, in 349 19 88 50.19 16.570

years?

How would you describe 355 1 5 2.76 1.400

your political views?

Valid N (listwise) 338

Respondents generally lean liberal.

How would you describe your political views?

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent

Valid Liberal 89 24.0 25.1 25.1

2 70 18.9 19.7 44.8

3 94 25.3 26.5 71.3

4 40 10.8 11.3 82.5

Conservative 62 16.7 17.5 100.0

Total 355 95.7 100.0

Missing System 16 4.3

Total 371 100.0

40
 Descriptive Statistics

N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation

Online News source 364 1 5 3.13 1.166

Television 367 1 5 2.54 1.317

Radio 365 1 5 1.98 1.028

Email 361 1 5 1.98 1.136

Facebook 361 1 5 1.73 .979

Newsletter 359 1 5 1.69 .990

Print Newspaper 359 1 5 1.69 1.016

Podcast 357 1 5 1.62 .951

Twitter 358 1 5 1.38 .883

Instagram 356 1 5 1.36 .735

Tik Tok 358 1 5 1.19 .558

Valid N (listwise) 341

The findings below are a layout of showing the lean of understanding towards the need for food equality and
the problems faced of racial inequality. Below is the reliability analysis for the multi-item scales used to
measure problem recognition, involvement, constraint recognition, and active behavior on the issue of food
insecurity. The Cronbach’s alpha scores are all good, so I added the items together and created a composite
measure for each variable. The table on page 4 shows the mean scores for the composite measures.

The results indicate that residents who responded generally recognize a food insecurity problem, but greater
awareness is needed. The average for problem recognition was 5, which indicates slight agreement that there
is a problem.

Constraint recognition and involvement are both 3.88. The midpoint is 4, so these means are slightly below
the midpoint and indicate that they are not involved in the food insecurity issue and don’t feel they can do
anything about the problem.

Key (for following data):

In order to interpret the data the scale goes from:
NO Minimum 1.0 <––––––––––––––>Maximum 5.0-7.0 YES
(The lower the number, the more leaning towards NO; The higher the number, the
higher leaning towards YES)

41
 Item Statistics

Mean Std. Deviation N

PR I believe people should pay more 5.17 1.638 371

attention to the problem of food
insecurity in my community.

PR I believe that something has to be 5.09 1.753 371

done to improve the problem of food
insecurity in my community.

PR-REV I do not believe that food 4.84 1.892 371

insecurity is a problem in my
community.

Item Statistics

Mean Std. Deviation N

IN I have a strong opinion about 4.11 1.660 371

this issue.

IN This issue affects people I care 4.27 1.834 371

about.

IN The problem of food 3.26 1.888 371

insecurity impacts my life.

42
 Item Statistics

Mean Std. Deviation N

CR I believe that citizens' views 3.33 1.811 371

on food insecurity matter to
policy-makers.

CR-REV I do not believe that I 3.62 1.461 371

can solve the problem of food
insecurity in my community.

CR I believe that I am capable of 4.21 1.465 371

helping reduce food insecurity in
my community.

CR-REV I do not believe that I 3.83 1.482 371

can influence food policy in my
state.

Item Statistics

Mean Std. Deviation N

SEEK I plan to seek information 3.93 1.681 370

about food insecurity in my
community.

ACT I am likely to take action to 4.02 1.609 370

reduce food insecurity in my
community.

I will seek more information 3.18 1.160 370

about the Florida Food Policy
Council.

43
 Descriptive Statistics

N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation

PR 371 1.00 7.00 5.0314 1.52080

CR 371 1.00 7.00 3.8868 1.13413

INV 371 1.00 7.00 3.8805 1.52510

ACTIVEpublic 370 1.00 6.33 3.7099 1.34701

Valid N (listwise) 370

Next, we did a linear regression analysis to test the Situational Theory of Publics. The theory says that PR, IN, and
CR predict whether a public will be active on an issue. The results below indicate that the theory is supported, and
that involvement is the most important in getting publics to be active on the issue of food insecurity.

Regression
Variables Entered/Removed

Model Variables Entered Variables Removed Method

1 CR, INV, PRb . Enter

a. Dependent Variable: ACTIVEpublic

b. All requested variables entered.

Model Summary

Std. Error of the

Model R R Square Adjusted R Square Estimate

1 .772a .597 .593 .85888

a. Predictors: (Constant), CR, INV, PR

44
 ANOVAa

Sum of
Model Squares df Mean Square F Sig.

1 Regression 399.542 3 133.181 180.542 .000b

Residual 269.988 366 .738

Total 669.530 369

a. Dependent Variable: ACTIVEpublic

b. Predictors: (Constant), CR INV, PR

This one below is important. It shows that, of the three predictors of active behavior on this issue,
INVOLVEMENT is the most important. Its t-value is the highest. So, this tells us that INVOLVEMENT
is the most important in increasing active behavior on the issue of food insecurity in this stakeholder
group (FL registered voters). BUT… when you look back at the composite mean scores above for these
variables, you will see that PR is the highest in this group, and involvement and CR is low. So your
campaign goal is to increase involvement among residents of Hillsborough County.

Coefficients

Standardized
Unstandardized Coefficients Coefficients

Model B Std. Error Beta t Sig.

1 (Constant) -.113 .208 -.545 .586

PR .234 .037 .265 6.350 .000

INV .479 .037 .542 12.999 .000

CR .202 .040 .170 5.078 .000

a. Dependent Variable: ACTIVEpublic

45
 Oneway

N Mean Std. Deviation Std. Error

Male 145 3.5977 1.49686 .12431

Female 198 4.1246 1.48926 .10584

Non-binary 12 3.8056 1.86113 .53726

I choose not to share. 15 3.5556 1.59198 .41105

Total 370 3.8847 1.52503 .07928

ANOVA

INV

Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig.

Between Groups 25.037 3 8.346 3.666 .013

Within Groups 833.154 366 2.276

Total 858.191 369

Does income influence a person’s involvement in the issue of food insecurity? YES
These results (below) suggest that lower-income residents are more likely to be involved in the issue of
food insecurity. The mean scores for involvement in the issue go down as income increases. This is a big
problem.

MOST LIKELY PUBLIC TO ACTIVATE: low-income, non-white females (they are the most involved).

Your campaign should seek to increase involvement in educated, high-income, white, females/families.
Messages like, “Food insecurity is a community issue. It’s everyone’s problem. The Florida Food Policy
Council works to overcome food insecurity in your community. Get involved through STRATEGY.

46
 INCOME

N Mean Std. Deviation Std. Error

Below $25,000 18 4.7778 1.40028 .33005

$26,000-$50,000 70 4.5476 1.41767 .16944

$51,000-$75,000 68 4.1667 1.36225 .16520

$76,000-$100,000 51 3.8431 1.52221 .21315

Over $100,000 134 3.3085 1.49666 .12929

Total 341 3.8915 1.53891 .08334

ANOVA

INV

Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig.

Between Groups 95.093 4 23.773 11.249 .000

Within Groups 710.115 336 2.113

Total 805.208 340

We ran correlation analysis to see if there was a relationship between income and active behavior on the
issue of food insecurity. The results show a significant inverse relationship between income and active
behavior. It means people with greater income are less active on the issue. People with less income are
more active on the issue. This is a low-income issue. The campaign needs to increase involvement in the
higher-income residents. Messaging along the lines of “Food insecurity affects us all,” like our campaign
slogan “All Floridians Deserve Food.”

47
 Correlations

What is your
annual household
ACTIVEpublic income?

ACTIVEpublic Pearson Correlation 1 -.200**

Sig. (2-tailed) .000

N 370 341

What is your annual household Pearson Correlation -.200** 1

income?
Sig. (2-tailed) .000

N 341 341

**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).

The next one below shows that there is a significant difference between males and females on active
behavior related to food insecurity. Specifically, females are significantly more active on this issue than
males.

Descriptives

ACTIVEpublic

95% Confidence Interval

for Mean

Std. Std. Lower Upper Minim

N Mean Deviation Error Bound Bound um

Male 145 3.3885 1.38723 .11520 3.1608 3.6162 1.00

Female 197 3.9882 1.25011 .08907 3.8125 4.1638 1.00

Non-binary 12 3.5556 1.63505 .47200 2.5167 4.5944 1.33

I choose not to 15 3.3333 1.29713 .33492 2.6150 4.0517 1.00

share.

Total 369 3.7118 1.34833 .07019 3.5738 3.8499 1.00

48
 ANOVA

ACTIVEpublic

Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig.

Between Groups 32.642 3 10.881 6.241 .000

Within Groups 636.383 365 1.744

Total 669.025 368

Item Statistics

Mean Std. Deviation N

My attitude toward 4.00 1.660 314

Florida’s food policy is: -
Dissatisfied:Satisfied

My attitude toward 4.01 1.597 314

Florida’s food policy is: -
Negative:Positive

My attitude toward 3.96 1.641 314

Florida’s food policy is: -
Unfavorable:Favorable

49
 Item-Total Statistics

Scale
Mean if Scale Corrected Cronbach's
Item Variance if Item-Total Alpha if
Deleted Item Deleted Correlation Item Deleted

My attitude toward 7.97 10.149 .946 .967

Florida’s food policy is:
- Dissatisfied:Satisfied

My attitude toward 7.96 10.561 .945 .968

Florida’s food policy is:
- Negative:Positive

My attitude toward 8.02 10.207 .956 .960

Florida’s food policy is:
-Unfavorable:Favorable

Item Statistics

Mean Std. Deviation N

My attitude towards the 3.86 .961 299

Florida Food Policy Council
is: - Dissatisfied:Satisfied

My attitude towards the 3.87 .947 299

Florida Food Policy Council
is: - Negative:Positive

My attitude towards the 3.87 .961 299

Florida Food Policy Council
is: - Unfavorable:Favorable

50
 Item-Total Statistics

Scale
Mean if Scale Corrected Cronbach's
Item Variance if Item-Total Alpha if
Deleted Item Deleted Correlation Item Deleted

My attitude towards the 7.75 3.553 .953 .975

Florida Food Policy
Council is: -
Dissatisfied:Satisfied

My attitude towards the 7.74 3.604 .954 .975

Florida Food Policy
Council is: -
Negative:Positive

My attitude towards the 7.74 3.517 .968 .965

Florida Food Policy
Council is:
-Unfavorable:Favorable

51
2.Perceptions Towards Food Policy
EQUALITY IN THE FOOD SYSTEM
Descriptive Statistics

Mini Maxim Mea Std.

N mum um n Deviation

I believe that Floridians should have wide access to 371 1 5 4.45 1.098
healthy foods.

I believe that equality gaps exist in the Florida food 371 1 5 3.80 1.380
system.

I believe that racial inequality exists in our food 370 1 5 3.47 1.626
system.

I believe unethical agriculture practices are 371 1 5 3.20 1.240

widespread in Florida.

There is nothing I can do to make the food system in 370 1 5 2.83 1.096
my community more equitable for all people.

Racial inequality in the food system impacts me and 370 1 5 2.69 1.453
people I know.

Valid N (listwise) 370

FOOD POLICY EDUCATION

Descriptive Statistics

Std.
N Minimum Maximum Mean Deviation

It is important for 370 1 5 4.28 .980

Floridians to understand
how state policies impact
the food system.

I believe that Floridians 371 1 5 3.99 1.140

need education on food
policies in their local
communities.

I know where to find 371 1 5 2.61 1.372

information about Florida
food policies.

52
 I believe that most 370 1 5 2.12 1.131
Floridians are aware of the
food policies in their
community.

Valid N (listwise) 361

FOOD INSECURITY
Descriptive Statistics

Std.
N Minimum Maximum Mean Deviation

I can afford healthy meal options on 370 1 5 3.85 1.364

my budget.

I, or someone I know, has experienced 370 1 5 3.34 1.479

food insecurity in the past year.

Valid N (listwise) 370

53
3.Perceptions Towards The Council

Awareness Of Florida Food Policy Council

Frequency Percent Valid Percent

Valid Yes 28 7.5 7.9

No 325 87.6 92.1

Total 353 95.1 100.0

Mean Scores Of Composite Attitude Measures

Std.
N Minimum Maximum Mean Deviation

Attitude toward Policy 314 1.00 7.00 3.9915 1.59581

Attitude toward Florida 299 1.00 7.00 3.8696 .93869

Food Policy Council

Valid N (listwise) 289

54
 Intention To Seek Information About FLFPC

Std.
N Minimum Maximum Mean Deviation

I will seek more 370 1 5 3.18 1.160

information about the
Florida Food Policy
Council.

Valid N (listwise) 370

55