Participation, power and beliefs shape local food and nutrition policy

Community participation is believed to hold a number of benefits, including the incorporation of local knowledge in planning, generation of greater support for and sustainability of local actions and being consistent with democratic values. These claimed benefits were examined in upstate New York, where 3-d participatory planning events were convened in each of six communities, focusing on desired changes in the local food system. A variety of qualitative and quantitative methods were used to assess the following: 1) local values, interests and beliefs (viewpoints) related to food and the food system before and after the planning events; 2) fairness and effectiveness in agenda setting; and 3) implementation of actions during the 2 y following the events. Despite marked variation in viewpoints, participants readily agreed on desired changes in the local food system during the events and they considered the process to be a fair and positive experience. However, the action agendas, follow-up actions and changes in viewpoints after the events displayed systematic tendencies to deviate from revealed common interests or interests of disenfranchised participants. This reflected differences in the fairness and effectiveness of participation during and after the events, established agendas and preferences of local institutions and a variety of market and regulatory barriers.