State Food Policy Council Update as of March 2010—Compiled by Alyse Alvord for Diane Beth, Nutrition Manager with the Physical Activity & Nutrition Branch, NC Division of Public Health
Document includes state food policy council missions, objectives, council organization and strategies, current projects, accomplishments and legislation, and state level policy recommendations.
(See abbreviated version of this in attached spreadsheets) for the following states:
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Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
Connecticut
Idaho
Illinois
Kansas
Maine
Massachusetts
Michigan
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
South Carolina
Virginia
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During the past couple months of research it appears that the following state-level Food Policy Councils are not currently active, despite their presence on CDC, Drake or CFSC databases:
-Colorado
-Iowa
-Missouri
-Utah
Other food policy councils have either come into existence since the other databases have been updated. They include:
-North Carolina (had state food policy council for 2-3 years, it disbanded and now via state legislation has been restarted as the NC Sustainable Local Food Advisory Council)
Next step in process would be to develop a survey to send to state fpc contacts to ensure information is accurate and glean other information that the Sustainable Food Systems workgroup, in cooperation with CDC and other partners would want to collect.
State Level Food Policy Councils: Missions
Alaska Food Coalition
-Strengthen and coordinate public and private food and nutrition assistance programs in the state and to educate policy makers about Alaskan food needs
Arizona: Community Food Connections
-To grow strong communities, healthy food, healthy families and healthy farms;
-To improve access to healthy food in underserved areas through expanding outlets for and production of local food. Our programs create jobs, support micro-enterprise development and build family self-sufficiency
Arkansas
-The Arkansas Food Policy Council was developed as a nonpartisan group to emphasize the connection between health, food and farm policy that make buying healthful foods an economically feasible choice, and to keep farmers on the land by working to develop healthy and diverse regional food systems.
Illinois Local Food, Farms and Jobs Council
-To facilitate the growth of an Illinois-based local farm and food product economy that revitalizes rural and urban communities, promotes healthy eating with access to fresh foods, creates jobs, ensures a readily available supply of safe food in an emergency event, and supports economic growth through making local farm or food products available to all Illinois citizens.
Kansas
-To bring together a diverse group of public and private sector stakeholders to examine food systems in the state. The KFPC makes policy recommendations regarding ways in which the food system and related practices can be improved to enhance the health of the Kansas population, strengthen local economies and market opportunities, improve coordination and efficiency, protect the environment, and reduce hunger and food insecurity
Massachusetts Food Policy Alliance
-To bring together diverse stakeholders across the food system, from farmers to consumers, to create a sustainable, systemic, effective and inclusive food policy for Massachusetts
New York State Council on Food policy
-Preserve and enhance agriculture, food and production and ensure access to safe, affordable, fresh and nutritious food
New Mexico
-Identify key food and agriculture policy issues and opportunities and address these priorities when set forth by the Council. The council works to build the capacity of agencies, organizations, individuals and communities to advocate for local, state and national food and agriculture policies that most benefit all New Mexicans.
North Carolina
-It is the purpose of the North Carolina Sustainable Local Food Advisory Council to contribute to building a local food economy, thereby benefiting North Carolina by creating jobs, stimulating statewide economic development, circulating money from local food sales within local communities, preserving open space, decreasing the use of fossil fuel and thus reducing carbon emissions, preserving and protecting the natural environment, increasing consumer access to fresh and nutritious foods, and providing greater food security for all North Carolinians.
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Ohio
-Collect and analyze information on the production and process of foods in Ohio, as well as the patterns of food consumption
-Protect Ohio’s valuable farmland and water resources by encouraging the growth of food products in Ohio
-Provide those in need with greater access to fresh and nutritious foods
-Assist Ohio’s farmers and business in marketing their food products inside and outside of the state
-Develop strategies to link producers and consumers in local food systems
Oklahoma Food Policy Council
-Assist in developing sustainable food and farming systems by:
-Supporting farms that provide economic goods and ecological/ environmental benefits, and enhance the quality of life of farm families, rural residents and society as a whole;
-Promoting markets made up of independently owned and operated farms and firms of a scale appropriate to offer a wide variety of product choices for consumers and economic opportunities for farmers;
-Encouraging communities to protect land from misuse, exploitation, and urban development, to ensure opportunity for all; to promote food security; and support economic development
-Proclaiming the need for a culture that respects the earth and all of its diversity of life, and recognizes the physical, social and spiritual connections between people within a higher order of things.
South Carolina
-The purpose of the organization is to provide a forum for stakeholders in the food, health and agricultural sectors to share ideas, collaborate on solutions and research, investigate and report on the food systems in South Carolina, the sustainability of agriculture in South Carolina and how it affects the people of South Carolina.
Virginia
-To strengthen Virginia’s food system from farm to table with an emphasis on access to local food, successful linkages between food producers and consumers, and a healthy, viable future for Virginia’s farmers and farmland
State Level Food Policy Councils: Objectives
Alaska
-Explore new and innovative ideas to help feed Alaska’s hungry.
-Help build the capacity of Alaskan communities to feed the hungry through our grant program, and our face-to-face meeting of all members once each year.
-Work to leverage our valuable state dollars and aggressively pursue funding from outside sources.
-Expand membership of the Alaska Food Coalition to better meet Alaska’s hunger problem.
Connecticut:
-Recommend and support legislation that promotes food security.
-Educate the public and policy makers about our food system.
-Promote the preservation of farming and farmland.
Illinois
-identify land preservation and acquisition opportunities for local and organic
-identify farmer training and development by expanding training programs
-identify financial incentives, technical support, and training necessary to help Illinois farmers to transition to local, organic, and specialty crop
-identify strategies and funding needs to make fresh and affordable Illinois-grown foods more accessible, with an emphasis on creating new food outlets in communities that need them
-identify financial/ technical support necessary to:
- build connections between landowners, farmers, buyers, and consumers;
- build a local food infrastructure of processing, storage, and distribution;
- develop new food and agriculture-related businesses for local food and organic food production and distribution; e.g. on-farm processing, micro-markets, incubator kitchens
- expand development of farmers markets, roadside markets, and local grocery stores in unserved/ underserved areas;
- creation of year-round public markets in Chicago and other large communities;
-Identify & coordinate best practices for the development of local/ organic food production;
-identify opportunities to educate the public and producers about the benefits of local foods systems and about the development opportunities provided through this Act
-identify legal impediments to local/ organic food production; develop remedy recommendations
Kansas
-Increase the regional production and marketing of food products.
-Streamline and clarify the rules and regulations governing direct-marketed foods to provide increased marketing opportunities for Kansas farmers.
-Promote the use of regionally produced foods in programs serving at-risk populations.
-Support the development and implementation of new community-based regional food policy councils within Kansas.
-Improve communication and coordination among programs providing food assistance to at-risk populations, and streamline eligibility determination processes.
-Improve participation rates in government-sponsored nutrition assistance programs.
-Improve the health of Kansans through improved school-based nutrition, reduction of childhood obesity, and other nutritional initiatives, working in coordination with the Governor’s Healthy Kansans Initiative.
-Maximize nutritional density of foods, clean water, and air quality through improvements in agricultural practices.
Massachusetts
-Increase local food production, sales and consumption
-Expand access to and consumption of state and regionally produced foods across socio-economic groups
-Sustain and enhance the state and regional agricultural economy
-Promote environmental sustainability in the state and regional food system
-Improve the health of state residents as it relates to our food system
-Protect state farmland
-Support the next generation of food producers in the state and the region
Michigan
-Increase economic activity in Michigan resulting in new and expanded businesses and jobs across all food-related sectors in this state.
-Strengthen Michigan’s communities with food-related revitalization projects.
-Increase access to fresh and healthy Michigan-grown foods, especially for school children, low-income families, at-risk seniors, and inner-city residents.
-Promote institutional and public purchase and consumption of Michigan-grown and -processed foods.
-Enhance the viability of small- to mid-scale family farms in Michigan by promoting direct farm marketing, sustainable agriculture, agri-tourism and other initiatives.
-Preserve farmland and amplify the environmental benefits of agriculture by promoting sustainable agriculture practices in Michigan.
-Increase collaboration and communication between state departments in the delivery of food related programs.
-Maximize coordination of existing federal, state, and local resources and capture additional federal resources for Michigan.
-Enhance connections between Michigan growers and Michigan food outlets.
-Encourage the creation of at least 1,000 new food-related jobs in Michigan.
-Expand markets for Michigan agricultural products, including niche markets such as “organically-produced,” “pasture-raised,” and “sustainably-grown” agricultural products, among others.
New Mexico
-Develop, coordinate and implement a food system policy that links economic development, social and environmental impacts with farming, ranching and urban issues.
-Review and comment on proposed legislation and regulations that have an impact on food and agricultural systems.
-Make recommendations to the executive and legislative branches of government on food and agriculture policy.
-Support the development of local markets for agricultural products such as school lunch programs and farmers’ markets by emphasizing the cultural, economic and environmental importance of New Mexico’s food production, and by promoting local purchase of New Mexico’s farmers’ produce and products as a way to increase the agricultural economy.
-Establish ongoing programs and projects to educate the public about food and agricultural systems based upon accurate facts and reliable reports and analyses.
-Promote the viability of local farming and ranching and the retention and recruitment of small farmers and ranchers in New Mexico.
-Increase awareness of and work to prevent food insecurity for New Mexican families and children.
-Develop and support greater access to nutritious foods at reasonable prices for New Mexicans most in need, in both rural and urban communities, and to be sensitive to cultural and traditional food preferences.
-Educate about and promote stewardship and conservation of land, water and resources.
New York
- Maximizing participation in food and nutrition assistance programs;
- Strengthening the connection between local food products and consumers;
- Supporting efficient and profitable agricultural food production and retail food infrastructure; and
- Increasing consumer awareness and knowledge about healthy eating; and improving consumer access to safe and nutritious food.
North Carolina
-Objectives still being developed but wording from state legislation includes…
-Recognizing the positive contributions of North Carolina's agricultural sector to the State's economy and environmental quality, it is the intent of the General Assembly that theCouncil consider and develop policies regarding the following subjects as they relate to North Carolinians:
(1)Health and wellness.
(2)Hunger and food access.
(3)Economic development.
(4)Preservation of farmlands and water resources.
Oklahoma:
-Discuss beyond simple agricultural production to a more comprehensive, food system-wide examination.
-Examine how state and local government actions shape the food system.
-Create a forum for people from different parts of the food system and government to learn more about each other’s goals/projects and to consider how their actions impact other parts of the system.
-Improve nutrition and provision of nutritional information throughout the state.
-Create an infrastructure within the food system that better connects stakeholders.
-Improve economic status of Oklahomans involved in the food system by creating new opportunities, increasing profitability and ensuring food dollars stay local by:
- local processing,
- enhanced distribution,
- direct marketing,
- diversification of products,
- Distribution of information regarding presently under-utilized opportunities.
Virginia
-Expanding and strengthening Virginia’s local food system
-Educating and communicating to the public and key stakeholders a sustainable food system's impact on health, economic development, natural resources, and social well-being
-Identifying barriers to and opportunities for improving the local, regional, and state food system
-Making policy recommendations and implementing strategies to improve the availability and accessibility of healthy, nutritious foods for all Virginians.
State Level Food Policy Councils: Council Organization and Strategies
Alaska
-Meets annually in person and monthly via teleconference; executive committee meets quarterly
Arizona
-Offers workshops to develop community leaders and community solutions that meet local food needs;
-Creates and supports local and regional economic and community development activities like the Downtown Phoenix Public Market and a pilot Farm to Cafeteria Program in order to improve overall quality of life and create healthier choices for Arizona households.
-501c3 nonprofit with a Board and Staff; develops and coordinates resources, education, information and public policies that will enhance local and regional food and economic systems
Arkansas
-Monthly meetings
Connecticut
-Prepares and submits annual report to the General Assembly
Illinois
-Task force brought together in beginning of 2008 drafter report for General Assembly
Kansas
-Focused on three areas:
- Regional Food Systems: reviews the problems and issues that stand in the way of revitalizing the local food economy, and promotes implementation of new policies that will encourage more local farmers, food processors and food retailers.
- Food Security: targets the problems of hunger and inadequate diets for low income and nutritionally at-risk populations, including the elderly, children, pregnant and nursing women, and incapacitated populations, with the goal of ensuring these groups receive the nutrition they need.
- Human Health and the Environment: focuses on the hard problem of changing how people eat. Many of our chronic health issues are based on poor nutrition. Issues such as diabetes, heart disease and obesity all have their origins in food and eating habits. A second area of investigation concerns health problems related to how food is produced and the possible incidental ingestion of carcinogens related to an historical switch to prepared and preserved foods instead of home-prepared whole foods.
Massachusetts
-Have a 15 member council of people appointed by various politicians; also have an advisory committee with community members appointed by the council.
-Three meetings, at minimum, per year; meetings open to the public
-Submits an annual report that includes recommendations and progress
-Connect and support local FPCs
-Advocate for state and national policies, programs and funding
-Foster collaboration and coordination for projects, pilots and shared action
-Develop a network of players, best practices, innovations, and resources.
-Inform and educate decision-makers and the public.
-Expand resources from a host of public and private sources.
-Conduct research.
Michigan
-Split into four task forces:
- Task Force A: Expanding Food-Related Businesses and Jobs.
- Task Force B: Improving Access to Fresh and Healthy Foods.
- Task Force C: Promoting Michigan Foods.
- Task Force D: Enhancing Agricultural Viability.
New Mexico
-Issues Committees and their responsibilities:
-Agriculture and Land and Water Stewardship: 1) Identify, educate about and advocate for policies that can maximize opportunities for and overcome obstacles to farming and ranching in New Mexico and Tribal communities throughout the southwest; topic areas include marketing, producer recruitment and retention, and access to land, capital and information. 2) Expand awareness about the role of farming and ranching in environmental stewardship and promote conservation of valuable land and water resources.