At SFP, we strive to meet our community's food needs while aligning with Slow Food USA’s values. In 2019, we launched the Slow Food Phoenix Policy and Advocacy Committee. Slow Food USA advocates that good, clean, and fair food starts with personal decisions about food, but also needs continuous advocacy at the federal, state and local policy level to ensure its values translate along the farm-to-fork chain. We believe it is important to advocate for positive public policy that forges the appropriate political, social, environmental and economic environment to tackle the food and farm challenges and present solutions to our policymakers. 

When we started in 2019, we decided to focus on policy issues related to healthy school meals, given our incubation of and close collaboration with the Blue Watermelon Project. To embark on this challenge, we partnered with Creosote Partners, a progressive legislative advocacy firm, to develop our policy agenda and ensure it aligns with the broader policy issues Slow Food USA focuses on in school and nutrition programs. 

Past Achievements

  • Developed the E.A.T agenda. An agenda that we workshoped with partner organizations in the field. The “E” was for Educate, to support policies that increase education, about good, clean and fair food for all schools, and to support culinary programs. “A” was for Access, to support policies that increase equitable access to good, clean, fair food. The idea was to remove barriers to the enjoyment of sustainably grown, locally sourced foods. The “T” was for Tie-In, encouraging and supporting small- to medium-sized local producers and fostering a culture of food diversity by helping students and youth build connections with their local food communities.

  • Ran a successful workshop in November 2019, with stakeholders across the state to develop the EAT agenda further. We had representatives from food organizations, including Local First, Pinnacle, the Swette Center, and other Slow Food Chapters in Arizona.

  • Organized a Day at the Capitol in February 2020, where members of our network had a lunch and learn event, which brought students from “Feeding the Future” program to serve meals for the legislators and talk about challenges in food access in schools in Arizona. 

  • We helped develop and support the “Healthful Schools Coalition” of Arizona. A coalition whose role was to support in advocacy and education about creating more healthful programs in schools. The Coalition helped build support for the first garden bill introduced in 2023 HB2349,  to support Instructional School Garden Programs within the Arizona Department of Agriculture. Ultimately, the bill failed. However, this built the education and motivation for legislators to continue to push forward, and in 2026 SB 1598, was passed, and helps establish the Instructional School Garden Program as community gardens.

Current Work

  • The 2025-2026 board has shifted the focus, based on the group's interest, to supporting BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) producers and food communities that align with Slow Food Values. 

    • We are now incubating the Navajo Churro and Mutton Presidia in the Four Corners on the Navajo Nation. The Presidia is led by Kevin Aspaas, and has a growing number of Herders, Weavers and Chefs in their group, including Roy Kady, Danielle Goldtooth, Alan Morre and others. 

    • We are also supporting BIPOC food groups by educating them about the process to getting into the Snail of Approval program.

  • Members of the Advocacy committee include: Sara El-Sayed (Chair), Stephanie Dreux, Rachel Stewart and Sarah Stanley.