Refining the Building Blocks of a Healthy Community
Collaboration between residents, elected
officials and non-profits leads to development of food action plan to
strengthen families
[COLUMBUS
–OH] For two years, Columbus City Council, the Franklin County Board of Commissioners,
Columbus Public Health, Franklin County Economic Development and Planning,
Local Matters and more than 1,000 residents have worked diligently to develop a
Local Food Action Plan (LFAP) designed to improve residents’ access to quality,
nutritious, affordable food.
The
effort, led by Council President Pro Tempore Priscilla Tyson and Board of Commissioners
President John O’Grady addresses the underlying social issues of poverty,
underemployment and unemployment that contribute to food inequality.
“Increasing
our residents’ access to healthy food is the key to maintaining a high quality
of life, and it is the building block for a stronger community,” said Tyson.
On
November 21, 2016, Columbus City Council will present a resolution to support
the Local Food Action Plan. The County Board of Commissioners is expected to
pass a resolution on Tuesday, November 22, 2016.
“Access
to quality, local food is good for our residents’ health, and their bottom
line,” said O’Grady. “And the local food system supports nearly 100,000
jobs in our community, from production and distribution to sales and
preparation.”
Nearly
one in five children in Columbus is food insecure and more likely to experience
chronic disease. Additionally, less than twenty-five percent of adults in
Franklin County report consuming the recommended servings of five or more
fruits and vegetables a day.
“Everyone
who is invested in healthy and local food access, education, production and
business now has a focused plan to accomplish those goals together,” said
Executive Director of Local Matters Michelle Moskowitz Brown.
Highlights
of the Local Food Action Plan include plans to:
- Improve how people access food, grow food and prevent
food waste;
- Increase the availability and affordability of healthy
and local food while teaching people convenient and healthy ways to feed
themselves and their families;
- Support a stronger market for local food businesses,
creating jobs and fostering community revitalization;
- Bolster food waste prevention efforts and supporting
strategies that decrease the amount of food-related waste going to local
landfills.
A
joint County/Council Local Food Team, along with an advisory board, will be
formed to guide the plan’s implementation. In addition to overseeing its
implementation, they will issue annual progress reports and updates. The
Franklin County Local Food Council will also play a key role in the
implementation, keeping the community connected to the team and the advisory
board.
More
than 1,000 residents and stakeholders participated in the plan’s development
through seven community-level food planning meetings, stakeholder interviews,
surveys and eleven public feedback sessions.
To view the Local
Food Action Plan and learn more, visit Columbus.gov/LFAP.
For
more information, contact:
Jose Rodriguez, Columbus Public Health: 614/604-5025, [email protected]
Tyler Lowry, Commissioners: 614/525-6630, [email protected]
Lee Cole, City of Columbus:
614/645-5530, [email protected]
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