2015 APHA Annual Meeting & Expo

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Recorded Annual Meeting Presentations (RAMP) are now available for purchase.
Only $90 for presenters, $140 for registered attendees and $200 for non-attendees.

Online Program

328772
Cultivating Food Policy Networks: Trends in State and Local Food Policy Councils


Tuesday, November 3, 2015 : 10:30 a.m. - 10:50 a.m.

Anne Palmer, MAIA( International Affairs), Center for a Livable Future, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
Audio (mp3) recording Recorded Presentation (mp4)
INTRODUCTION: Hundreds of local food and farm coalitions have formed over the past several years, including the development of food policy councils, which now number around 260 in North America. The Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future’s Food Policy Networks (FPN) project recognizes the need to connect these emerging community-based food system efforts to the policy-making apparatus of local, regional, state and national level.

APPROACH:  FPN supports these groups through networking, capacity building, research, and technical assistance. Networking efforts connect food policy councils and other groups working on for purposes of learning and mutual support.  An online directory of food policy groups in North America has been maintained and updated on an annual basis since 2012.  Approximately ½ of the groups update the information from a link and the other half are contacted by CLF staff.

RESULTS: In addition to demographic and contact information, respondents answer questions related to governance, jurisdiction, top priorities, achievements, and civic engagement.  Their responses are helping to track the status of these stakeholder groups and the role they are playing in food policy.  Several policy trends are noted in the areas of procurement, SNAP benefits at farmer markets, food retail, and urban agriculture. 

DISCUSSION: The speaker will discuss the trends over time, how can the results be used by groups working on food policy.

Learning Areas:

Public health or related public policy

Learning Objectives:
Describe trends experienced by food policy councils with regards to achievements, policy work, affiliation and civic engagement.

Keyword(s): Public Health Policy, Community-Based Partnership & Collaboration

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have participated in academic studies on food policy councils, have been a member of 2 food policy task forces, provided technical assistance to several FPCs in the Chesapeake area, conducting training for them and manage a national project that provides resources to FPCs. As part of that project, I monitor trends among the groups and work with other researchers around the country.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 4128.0: Food Policy Councils: Lessons Learned for Building Capacity and Developing Assessment Tools