The following outlines responsibilities and expectations for the Maine Food Strategy and individuals and groups working in partnership with the initiative to advance the values and goals described below. This document was created in June 2016 and will be revisited by network members and the Maine Food Strategy Steering Committee by the 2nd quarter of 2017.
Overview of the Initiative
The Maine Food Strategy is an initiative to create a broader and more strongly connected network of organizations and individuals contributing to the food system Maine. The initiative is working to advance statewide collaboration around a set of goals identified through a participatory planning process.
Maine Food Strategy Values
The Maine Food Strategy is committed to promoting activities that:
- Provide economic opportunity for Maine people and Maine businesses
- Build recognition for the important role food production plays in the health and vitality of Maine communities.
- Ensure access to healthy food for all
- Support a healthy environment
Network Partners
Network Partners agree:
- To work as part of a collaborative initiative to advance the values, goals and objectives of the Maine Food Strategy;
- To contribute in one or more of the following ways:
- Serving on the Steering Committee; Serving on a Council;
- Assisting with a specific activity or project connected to a subcommittee or the larger Initiative;
- Providing space or resources to the initiative or its subcommittees to do their work; or, Assisting in organizing or contributing resources to the annual Network Gathering.
- To respect the diversity of experiences and backgrounds of Network Members and commit to respectful discourse in meetings and discussions;
- To prioritize the highest and best use of all resources available to the network including financial resources and relationships to support the greatest outcomes for Maine’s food system;
- To share information from your organization that is relevant to the network (progress updates, data, etc.);
- To share and promote information and resources of others involved in the Network that support or advance the initiative’s collective goals; and
- To participate on behalf of your organization AND the Network as a whole.
By signing onto this agreement, I acknowledge that I and/or my organization, business or agency supports the Maine Food Strategy values, and the spirit and intent of the initiative’s planning framework and agree to fulfill to the best of my ability the commitments outlined above