Using Message

1
Using Message Communication to Promote Change

• Remarks of Ken Kelly, JD
• Center for Science In the Public Interest
• Food Safety Networks Communicators Conference
• University of Guelph
• June 13, 2006

2
Promoting Change

• Center for Science In the Public Interest (CSPI)
• CSPI is an independent non-profit health advocacy
  organization with offices in Washington, D.C. and
  Ottawa. Since 1971, CSPI has been working to
  improve the publics health, largely through its
  work on nutrition and food-safety issues.
  http//www.cspinet.org/
• CSPI is supported primarily by over 900,000
  subscribers to its Nutrition Action Healthletter,
  the largest circulation health newsletter in
  North America.
• Our Canadian advocacy is supported by over
  100,000 subscribers to the Canadian edition.
  http//www.cspinet.org/canada

3
Promoting Change

• The Problem Foodborne Disease
• Health Impact
• 75 million illnesses, 325,000 hospitalizations,
  and 5,000 deaths each year. (CDC)
• Economic Impact
• In 2000, the USDAs Economic Research Service
  estimated the cost of just five bacterial
  foodborne pathogens Campylobacter, Salmonella,
  E. coli, and Listeria in terms of lost
  productivity, hospitalizations, and deaths to be
  6.9 billion per year.

4
Promoting Change

• Who Do We Target?
• Government
• USDA-Food Safety Inspection Service
• Meat Poultry
• FDA-Center for Science and Applied Nutrition
• Seafood, Fresh Fruits Vegetables, Eggs
• Policymakers
• Senators
• Congressmen
• Industry
• Meat
• Poultry
• General Public

5
Promoting Change

• How Do We Target?
• Direct lobbying
• Face-To-Face Meetings (FTF)
• Letters
• Advocacy Campaigns
• FTF Meetings
• Letters
• Media
• Grassroots
• Litigation Strategies
• Legal Partnerships
• State Advocacy
• State Legislature
• State Advocacy Groups
• Regulatory Advocacy
• Comments

6
Promoting Change

• Direct Lobbying
• USDAs Recall Policy
• During a recall, the United States Department of
  Agriculture (USDA) will only share a firms
  distribution list with states that promise not to
  release the information to the public.
• ConAgra
• In the summer of 2002, public health officials in
  Colorado and California were barred from
  obtaining ConAgras distribution lists from USDA.
• Mad Cow Disease
• December 23, 2003, FSIS recalled raw beef that
  may have been exposed to tissues containing the
  infectious agent that causes mad cow disease.

7
Promoting Change

• Advocacy Campaigns
• Wheres The Beef? Campaign
• Objective To reverse the policy of not telling
  consumers where contaminated meat is distributed
  and sold.
• Strategies Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
  Requests, Grassroots, Media.
• Target PrimaryUSDA, SecondaryLegislators/Genera
  l Public

8
Promoting Change

• Advocacy Campaigns Cont.
• NAIS Campaign Mad Cow Disease
• Issue The US does not have an animal
  identification and tracking system. The current
  proposal by the USDA involves a phased in
  voluntary system that does not become fully
  operational until 2009.
• Objective To make the NAIS mandatory and
  Expedite implementation.
• Targets PrimaryUSDA, SecondaryLegislators/Gener
  al Public
• Strategies Direct Lobbying, Media, Grassroots

9
Promoting Change

• Litigation Strategy
• Used as a compliment to our advocacy efforts.
• Can be directed at either industry or government.
• Best used in conjunction with an advocacy
  campaign.
• Example
• Wheres the Beef? Campaign Recall Disclosure
• Objective To focus attention on USDAs policy of
  not disclosing critical information to consumers
  during recalls.
• Partnered with Williams Connelly Pro Bono

10
Promoting Change

• State Advocacy
• State advocacy can be a compliment to federal
  advocacy efforts.
• Similar to the litigation strategy is best used
  with an advocacy campaign.
• Example Recall Disclosure
• 12 States have signed the secrecy agreement with
  USDA prohibiting the disclosure of information
  during recalls.
• State Partnership
• California
• Vehicle for Change
• State Legislation SB 611

11
Promoting Change

• Regulatory Advocacy
• Directed towards government agencies
• U.S. Department of Agriculture
• Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS)
• Food and Drug Administration
• Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
  (CFSAN)
• Meetings
• One on one with Agency heads and staff
• In partnership with other consumer groups
• Safe Food Coalition
• Participating in the regulatory process
• Comments on proposed rules
• Example Availability of retail consignees during
  meat and poultry recalls.

12
Promoting Change

• Conclusion
• Identify the issue, solution, target, method.
• Typically it is more effective to use a variety
  of methods.
• Cultivate media opportunities