Growing Local Food Policy
photo: Ian Lind
On Tuesday night, at Church of the Crossroads in Honolulu, organizers held a first organizational meeting towards forming a islands-wide Food Policy Council.
What is a Food Policy Council?
Food Policy Councils (FPCs) bring together individuals and community members from diverse food-related sectors to examine how the food system is operating and to develop recommendations on how to improve it. FPCs may take many forms, but are typically either commissioned by state or local government, or predominately a grassroots effort. Food policy councils have been successful at educating officials and the public, shaping public policy, improving coordination between existing programs, and starting new programs. Examples include mapping and publicizing local food resources; creating new transit routes to connect underserved areas with full-service grocery stores; persuading government agencies to purchase from local farmers; and organizing community gardens and farmers' markets.
While FPC's are not a new concept, their structures, practices, and policies are still evolving. Although the first Food Policy Council started 30 years ago in Tennessee, only in the last decade have Food Policy Councils really gained momentum, and today there are over 100 councils on the continent (from foodsecurity.org).
From Denise on O`ahu:
If you are concerned about Hawai'i food security, local decision-making and control, school lunches, farming, farm land, nutrition, or land use get involved with FPC.
The first meeting was very well attended. George Kent and Stuart Novick are the main organizers. Very inclusive, consensus style, this is just the beginning.
The suggested purpose is to ‘ensure good nutrition for all, under all conditions.’ Important to include everyone that wants to participate and publicize what is already going on and co-ordinate everyone’s efforts. Local/area FPCs in Hawai'i will/are already being developed.
If you want to stay informed and/or participate in a Working Group contact: fpchawaii@yahoo.com. There are several opportunities (you can join more than one group):
POSSIBLE FOOD POLICY COUNCIL WORKING GROUPS:
- ORGANIZATION WORKING GROUP. The OWG will develop an FPC charter and rules, including membership procedures, decision making, organizational structure, financial structure, and leadership.
- COMMUNICATIONS WORKING GROUP. The CWG is responsible for internal FPC communications and also external communications to and from others. It will establish an Internet-based communications system to support the work of the FPC, and provide technical assistance to those who need it.
- HEALTH AND NUTRITION WORKING GROUP. The HNWG will focus on ways in which Hawaii’s food system affects the health of its people, including those who are most vulnerable to malnutrition. Special attention will be given to infants, preschoolers, school children, prisoners, the homeless, people with disabilities, people with low income, and the elderly. It would also give attention to specific nutrition related concerns such as overweight and obesity and non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.
- FOOD SYSTEM WORKING GROUP. The FSWG will describe, assess, and propose improvement in the food system in Hawaii, including the potential for strengthening local farming and gardening. They will promote contingency planning to ensure Hawaii’s resilience in the face of uncertainties regarding rapid onset crises such as tsunamis, electrical power failures, and failure of the water supply system, and slower-onset crises such as failures in the global, national, and local economy; climate change; and energy shortfalls.
- COMMUNITY FPC WORKING GROUP. The CFPC-WG will assist and support community FPCs in all islands with research, data, communications and planning.
- GOVERNMENT RELATIONS WORKING GROUP The GRWG will determine what agencies are involved with FPC related concerns, what they are doing and plan to do, what legislation is being proposed, and whether new legislation is necessary to achieve the FPC’s aims.
The Communications Working Group is your link for support. If you have questions, ideas, or problems to discuss, email : fpchawaii@yahoo.com
