I was pleasantly surprised to see in the Clancy article that Knoxville, TN was the first city in the country to create a food policy council. As a UT-Knoxville alumni, naturally I had to investigate the council's current status and projects.
As the article mentioned, the Knoxville Food Policy Council has never had paid members, which is shocking given its longevity. However, as evident from their website (www.knoxfood.org/), activity on a month-to-month basis appears to come in spurts. This is probably a result of having unpaid members, as activity is put on the back-burners. But the council continues to exist with meetings every month or so. Its 11 members consist of city officials, a UTK professor, health officials, and various non-profit representatives. Some of the projects done by KFPC include a 2014 Knoxville Regional Foodshed Assessment and a 2011 guide to starting a community garden in the county or city. They also have had several series of public meetings to discuss programs such as a "Farm to Fork" program that promotes locally grown food pumped directly into the city.
Winnie's article brings up the three "Ps" that are necessary to change food systems: Projects, Partners, and Policy. Having partners is the most important to me when creating a food council. Having a leader that can tap into his or her relationships to pull in various organizations is crucial to getting the food conversation started. And it doesn't have to be a planner to start a food council either. The Knoxville FPC was started by a professor; all it takes is a push from within the city. Of course, the longevity of the food council is reliant on continued support from the government and resources from grants.
If you were trying to start a food policy council, who would you approach to bring to the table? What goals would you want the council to focus on first?
I think having partners will be essential in creating a lasting food policy council because one cannot address all of our community's food concerns alone and each individual, corporation, non-profit, governmental agency, and faculty member bring something unique to the table, thus I feel this council's efforts will be more effective. The first issue that I feel that would need to be addressed would be determining how to make our community more sustainable and food secure.
ReplyDeleteHaving partners is an essential part of a solid food policy because getting more people together equals more results. Different government agencies like the agri-food sector, urban planning, parks and rec and the community working together is really what a good food policy is all about; good nutrition, equal access to healthy foods and social ties. Another important component to create an effective organization that improves the food situation is FUNDING. SO. MUCH. FUNDING. If every city (or at least major city) gave the funding to its' food council as much as Toronto did there would be urban farm skyscrapers everywhere! But alas, in a world dominated by capitalism and corporate greed; the food that is cheapest and most profitable becomes the norm.
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