This PolicyLink presentation goes over the basics of food policy councils: what they are, how they function, what they're good at, and what's challenging for them.

1. Food Policy Councils 101
Structures and strategies for building healthy food systems
PolicyLink Webinar
March 20, 2013
LINDSEY DAY FARNSWORTH
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN – MADISON
LDFARNSWORTH@WISC.EDU
COMMUNITY & REGIONAL FOOD SYSTEMS PROJECT
WWW.COMMUNITY-FOOD.ORG
UW CENTER FOR INTEGRATED AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS
WWW.CIAS.WISC.EDU

2. CRFS Project Overview
• Five year project funded by USDA-NIFA
(National Institute of Food and Agriculture)
• Central research question:
What are the characteristics and functions of a healthy
community and regional food system and how do they
contribute to increased community food security?
Production: Urban and peri-urban agriculture
Distribution: Corner store conversions, institutional purchasing policies
Consumption: Healthy grocery store initiatives, Local marketing projects
Disposal: composting projects
• Research, education, outreach, and advocacy
www.community-food.org

3. Outreach Research
• Growing Power • Characterize complex
Education Workshops and trainings urban food systems
• PEOPLE program
• University Extension • Community-based
Peer network participatory research
• College internships
Train-the-trainer
• Graduate practicums curriculum
Project evaluation and
community assessment
www.community-food.org

4. UW-Madison Community & Regional Food
Systems Project Framework
Source: UW-Madison Community and Regional Food Systems Project V.4 working draft
www.community-food.org

5. Why food policy councils?
Food policy councils have the potential to:
• Help build community and regional food systems that are accountable
to all by being healthy, affordable, fair and sustainable
• Create opportunities for residents and community-based organizations
to influence food policy
• Increase coordination across agencies and organizations that influence
policy on food production, accessibility, affordability, and quality
• Foster new relationships
• Align policies & departments
• Bring a systems view to complex issues

6. Influencing municipal food policy and regulation
POLICY Land use Economic Licensing & Programs &
controls development regulation services
COMPONENT incentives
Production Urban Agriculture Local food Permit on-site Vegetable
ordinances procurement produce sales at gardening classes
policies market gardens & resources
Processing Industrial Agricultural Promote laws Provide cooking &
retention via processing permitting limited food preservation
zoning & renaissance zones sales of home- classes
comprehensive processed foods
planning
Distribution Flexible zoning USDA “geographic Grocery store Establish farmers’
for grocery stores preference” option attraction incentives markets on city-
in under-served increases local owned land
areas food in schools
Consumption Long-term leases CDBG funding to Streamline licensing EBT machines for
for community increase produce at requirements for WIC/SNAP at
gardens corners stores farm markets & farmers’ markets
produce carts
Resources & Align Mandatory Separate ag and Municipal
Waste state/municipal recycling and solid waste regs/ household
composting land composting permitting composting
Management
use regulations requirements program

7. What is a food policy council?
Food Policy Councils (FPCs) bring together stakeholders from
diverse food-related sectors to examine how the food system is
operating and to develop recommendations on how to improve it.
• They often include anti-hunger and food justice advocates, educators,
non-profit organizations, concerned citizens, government officials,
farmers, grocers, chefs, workers, food processors, and food
distributors.
• By bringing diverse sectors together food policy councils create unique
opportunities for discussion and strategy development and create an
arena for evaluating the food system as a whole.
Sources: Community Food Security Coalition http://www.foodsecurity.org/FPC/
Harper et al. 2009. “Food Policy Councils: Lessons Learned”. http://www.foodfirst.org/en/foodpolicycouncils-lessons

8. Food Policy Council Function
“Catalyze, Coordinate, Connect” (and Capacity-building!)
• Initiate or support programs (catalyze & capacity-building)
The LA Food Policy Council and the Good Food Purchasing Policy
• Foster coordination between sectors (coordinate)
The Dane County Food Council and the Food Pantry Garden Project
• Serve as forum for food systems issues (connect)
The most common and basic function of food policy councils
• Influence or evaluate food policy
Chicago Food Policy Advisory Council & the Chicago Urban Agriculture Ordinance
Sources: Harper et al. 2009. “Food Policy Councils: Lessons Learned”.
http://www.foodfirst.org/en/foodpolicycouncils-lessons
LA Food Policy Council organizing principles: “Catalyze, Coordinate, Connect”

9. Food Policy Council Structure
FPC structure is often related to how a particular council is formed:
• Legislation A 2009 study found that “the vast
• Executive Order majority of food policy councils
• Grassroots organizing have either no staff at all or one
• Project of a non-profit part-time staff person, relying
instead on volunteers or on
restricted amounts of staff time
Considerations: from city, county or state employees
• Relationship to government assigned to the council in addition
• Appointed vs. open membership to their usual duties.”
• How will the work get done?
• Staff capacity
• Community engagement
• How will we ensure accountability and inclusiveness?
Source: Harper et al. 2009. “Food Policy Councils: Lessons Learned”.
http://www.foodfirst.org/en/foodpolicycouncils-lessons

10. Food Policy Council Challenges
• Designing effective council structures
• Achieving and engaging diverse membership and constituencies
• Balancing diverse priorities
• long and short term goals
• policy & programmatic work
• Measuring and evaluating impact
• Obtaining adequate funding
• Working in complex political climates
Source: Harper et al. 2009. “Food Policy Councils: Lessons Learned”.
http://www.foodfirst.org/en/foodpolicycouncils-lessons

11. Food Policy Council Successes
Examples:
• New Mexico Food & Agriculture Policy Council
Expanded funding for farm to school and MNSU Extension support for tribal
nations; stopped the sale of sugary soft drinks in schools
• New Orleans Food Policy Advisory Council
Helped create the Fresh Food Retailer Initiative, which leverages public and
private financing to provide low-interest and forgivable loans for food retailers
who commit to sell fresh fruits and vegetables in underserved neighborhoods.
• Muscogee (Creek) Nation Food and Fitness Policy Council
Initiated new procurement policies that will help tribal groups by more locally
grown fruits and vegetables
• Dane County Food Council
Worked with Community Action Coalition of Southern Wisconsin and Dane
County Parks and Conservation to shift county conservation land leased for
commodity crop production to vegetable production for area food pantries
Source: Burgan and Winne. 2012. “Doing Food Policy Councils Right: A Guide to Action”. p. 8
http://www.markwinne.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/FPC-manual.pdf

12. Food Policy Council Resources
Food Policy Councils: Lessons Learned (2009)
http://www.foodfirst.org/en/foodpolicycouncils-lessons
Doing Food Policy Councils Right: A Guide to Development and Action (September 2012)
http://www.markwinne.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/FPC-manual.pdf
Good Laws, Good Food: Putting Local Food Policy to Work for our Communities (July 2012)
http://www.markwinne.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/food-toolkit-local.pdf
Good Laws, Good Food: Putting State Food Policy to Work for our Communities (Nov 2012)
http://www.markwinne.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/food-toolkit-2012.pdf
Organizational Documents Designed for Food Policy Councils (November 2011)
http://www.foodfirst.org/en/food+policy+council
The Community Food Security Coalition's North American Food Policy Council Webpage
http://www.foodsecurity.org/FPC/
List of Food Policy Councils in North America (May 2012)
http://www.markwinne.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/fp-councils-may-2012.pdf