cppw food policy council fact sheet
TRANSCRIPT
Establishment of a Cook County Food Policy Council
Request: Pass a Cook County Board ordinance establishing a Food Policy Council for Cook County
The Cook County Food Policy Council, if endorsed by the County Board, would convene a variety of food policy stakeholders, from government to private agencies to individuals. These stakeholders would work to develop a plan that ensures all county residents have access to healthy foods and would address issues related to the food system, from farm to table.
Why Establish a Food Policy Council in Cook County?
• AnumberofCookCountyresidents,inparticularthoselivingintheSouthandSouthwestregions,lackreadyaccessto stores selling healthy food.1 • Livingfurtherfromstoressellinghealthyfoodincreasestheriskfordiet-relateddiseases,suchaspoorpregnancyoutcomes and obesity.2
• TheestablishmentofaCookCountyFoodPolicyCouncilwillbeafirststeptocoordinatingandpromotinghealthyfood access for all Cook County residents. • Foodpolicycouncilsdevelopandstrengthenrelationshipsbetweengovernment,non-profitandprivateorganizations.• CookCountyGovernmentisuniquelypositionedtoleadthisefforttoensureallresidentshaveaccesstohealthfood.
What Can A Food Policy Council Do?
• Foodpolicycouncilsfunctionasforumsforconcernedpartiestoaddressfoodissuesandasplatformstodevelopconsistent policyandprogramdevelopmentinaspecifiedregion.• Foodpolicycouncilscanprovideadirectlinkbetweengovernmentagenciesandconcernedcitizens.• Byengagingavarietyofstakeholdersfoodpolicycouncilscanhelpeasetheburdenofcoordinatingfoodaccessissueson local governments.
Basic Facts3
• ThefirstFoodPolicyCouncilstartedin1982inKnoxville,TN.• Todayover100councilsexistacrossthenation,andthatnumberisgrowing.(http://www.foodsecurity.org/FPC/)• TheIllinoisFood,Farms,JobsCouncilwascreatedbystatelegislationandsignedintolawin2010.Thiscouncilisworkingto securefreshfoodaccesstoallIllinoisresidents.• TheChicagoFoodPolicyAdvisoryCouncilwascreatedin2001andisaprivateorganizationwithactiveparticipation bycitydepartments.IthasheldseveralnetworkingforumsandhasproducedapolicyagendatoworkwithChicago’s government stakeholders.• TheEvanstonFoodPolicyCouncilwasfoundedin2005asaprivateorganizationandhassinceexpandedtoincludethe villageofSkokie.• Insummer2010theUSDAreleasedanRFAtoaddresshungerthatrequiredapplicantstopartnerwiththeirlocalFood Policy Councils.
1 Block,D.,Chavez,N.&Birgen,J.(2008).FindingFoodinChicagoandtheSuburbs:TheReportoftheNortheasternIllinoisCommunityFoodSecurityAssessment.ReporttoThePublic.ChicagoStateUniversity:Chicago,IL
2USDA.2010.AccesstoAffordableandNutritiousFood:MeasuringandUnderstandingFoodDesertsandTheirConsequences.
3 DrakeUniversityAgriculturalLawCenter.2005.TheStateandLocalFoodPolicyProject.http://www.law.drake.edu/centers/agLaw/docs/fpc_qna.pdf
Communities Putting Prevention to Work
1010 LakeStreet,Suite430,OakPark,Illinois60301
Website www.cookcountypublichealth.org
ApartnershipprojectledbytheCookCountyDepartmentofPublicHealthandthePublicHealthInstituteofMetropolitanChicago.
Making suburban Cook County a healthier place to live, work and play.