New Food Policy Database to Strengthen Community Food Systems
Posted: October 23, 2014
Categories: Food in the News / GoodFoodBites / Local Procurement / Municipal Regional Food Policy Network
A searchable
database of local public policies that explicitly strengthen community food systems was released earlier this week. The Growing Food Connections Policy Database covers a wide range of public policies in the United States that address various food system issues such as: local food procurement, food aggregation and distribution infrastructure, tax reductions, food policy councils and access to healthy foods.
The Growing Food Connections project aims to enhance local governments and communities’ ability to strength local food systems through integrating research, education and planning and policy initiatives. The project is funded by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The database contains an immense collection of adopted food policy. It covers a wide range of policies such as laws, resolutions, guidelines and public financing policies that span across different regions, sizes of government and policy issues. A great inspiration for other communities to see enacted food policy and initiatives, the database is a sound resource for best practices in local food policy. This database is a useful tool for government officials, policy makers, planners, and others interested in food issues.
Sustain Ontario has been compiling best practices of local food and farming initiatives across Ontario. The Rationale and Best Practices resource provides key facts and rational for healthy, economically and environmentally viable food systems in Ontario. With various examples of what municipalities in Ontario have achieved, it provides a great demonstration of what could be done in other communities.