Lesson 16 - Food Systems Planning Flashcards
Planners play a role community food systems
Planners play a role in assessing the existing community food system. Planners can document the availability of different types of food retail destinations available to community residents (farmers markets, grocery stores, restaurants and food pantries), food production (farms and community gardens), and the quality of food available at these destinations (nutritional quality, affordability, cultural appropriateness), as well as the accessibility to these food destinations. After understanding the food system planners can act to implement appropriate policies and programs that support a healthy food system.
Planners support the food system through the regulatory environment that encourages or discourages food resources, for example agricultural zoning districts, locations for supermarkets, zoning for residential food production (back yard gardens) etc.
Programmatic ways that planners can support food systems
For example, community gardens are shared open space where individuals garden together to grow fresh, healthful, and affordable fruits and vegetables. These gardens allow for the production of affordable and healthy foods, but also serve as civic spaces that promote social, cultural and intergenerational interactions. Cities, such as Seattle, provide support to communities interested in establishing community gardens For example, evaluating the potential of a garden site, assisting in land acquisition, assisting with soil testing and remediation, leading a garden design process, managing plot assignments, and monitoring sites.
Many communities have developed Farmers Markets where farm products are sold by the farmers themselves. Farmers Markets are best located in areas with high foot traffic and convenient transportation, such as transit stops. Some farmers markets use vouchers that allow people participating in the Woman and Infant Care (WIC) and Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFNP) to use their benefits to purchase produce.
Community Support Agriculture (CSA) programs connect farmers to consumers. Farmers sell shares of their harvest to consumers at the beginning of the growing season. Shareholders receive a weekly allotment of fresh produce from the farm, which can vary based on the productivity of the farm.
Farm to School programs bring fresh food from local farms to school cafeterias. The school or school district partners with area farmers to purchase food directly which is then distributed and served at local schools. These programs can also include meat and seafood, in addition to produce.
A Food Policy Council (FPC) is a group of individuals that advises local and state government on matter related to food policy. Food policy councils perform a variety of interrelated related tasks such as facilitating community food assessments, raising awareness of food issues with the public and local governments, developing food policies, advising community planning processes, promoting CSAs, Farm to School and other programs, and organizing education events.
Farmland conservation easement
Planning can be used to promote the preservation and development of healthy food systems. For example, an Agricultural Land Trust can identify agricultural lands that should be preserved and farm owners can opt to participate in a trust. This works as a conservation easement on farmland. This allows the land to be used for agricultural purposes, but prohibits the land from being developed in the future.
Fresh Food Financing / Healthy Corner Store Initiative
In Pennsylvania, they implemented a Fresh Food Financing Initiative which allocated funds to help grocery stores locate in underserved communities. The trust provided gap funding where conventional financial institutions would not provide the needed credit. Healthy Corner Store Initiatives have emerged in a number of communities. This program provides financial assistance to small corner grocery stores to increase the offering of healthful foods in underserved neighborhoods, as well as educating store owners and residents of the need for healthy food options.
