Planning for Healthy, Sustainable Food Systems

Like air, water, and shelter, food is essential for life and plays a central role in our health, economy, and culture. Healthy, sustainable communities require healthy, sustainable food systems. Planners play an important role in developing healthy, sustainable local and regional food systems to support and enhance overall public, social, ecological, and economic health of communities. As more and more planners engage in food systems planning at the local, regional and state levels, coordination and collaboration with other professionals, particularly public health and nutrition, will be essential. The recent ADA, ANA, APA, APHA Principles of a Healthy Sustainable Food System provide a foundation for this collaborative work. This presentation will provide an overview of the important role planners play in conducting community food assessments; preparing a variety of plans assessing and addressing challenges related to food production, distribution, access, and disposal; engaging community residents in meaningful public processes; and developing local and regional policies—standards, incentives, and regulations—that can support development and preservation of healthy and sustainable food systems' infrastructure (such as rural and urban farms, community gardens, processing facilities, grocery stores, farmers markets, and restaurants). Her presentation will be based on several, recent APA policy and research projects that illustrate how many planning, public health, and nutrition professionals are actively collaborating to create healthier, more sustainable food systems: Urban Agriculture: Growing Healthy, Sustainable Places (a new APA report); and Planning for Food Access (a RWJF Healthy Eating Research funded study).