Webinar - State Food System Plans: Are they worth it?
July 19, 2021 - Rich Pirog, Kolia Souza, Lilly Fink Shapiro, Lesli Hoey, Lindsey Scalera, Theresa Cardenas, and Albie Miles
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IMPORTANT NOTE: We’d like to further clarify the title we chose for our July 15th webinar: “State Food System Plans: Are They Worth it?” We chose the language “State Food System Plans” to represent statewide, participatory efforts to develop, document, and advance a set of goals and action priorities to address challenges in the food system. Our experience and model for such a plan is the Michigan Good Food Charter. Although some may think statewide food system assessments or food system studies are equivalent to “State Food System Plans”, it was not our intent to conflate these terms. We did not acknowledge during the webinar the historic work on food system assessments and research that has informed the building of statewide food system plans or charters such as the Michigan Good Food Charter. That historic work across the U.S. has been an important influence on these statewide food system plans/charters, which we sincerely appreciate. |
Statewide food system plans, also referred to as food system charters, have been in place in several states for more than ten years. These food system plans often serve as a food system policy framework, identifying goals and priorities developed by a diverse group of organizations and agencies to advance sustainability, health, and equity in the food system. As more and more states develop statewide plans, we use this webinar to come together to reflect on this strategy for food systems change.
In this webinar, we:
- Share a snapshot of what is happening with food system plans across the country (USA);
- Share brief examples from Michigan, New Mexico, and Hawai'i as to how plans have developed (or starting to develop) and evolved, and explain why a food system plan can be a valuable tool in developing a more resilient and equitable food system, and
- Solicit feedback and insights from participants – is a statewide food system plan an effective tool to transform food systems in your state? Is it worth the investment?
Participatory State and Regional Food System Plans and Charters in the U.S.: A Summary of Trends and National Directory
The link below will connect you to the final version of the national food system plans and charters directory. This directory was developed by University of Michigan Sustainable Food Systems Initiative affiliates in collaboration with the MSU Center for Regional Food Systems.
This webinar was sponsored by the MSU Center for Regional Food Systems in collaboration with the University of Michigan Sustainable Food Systems Initiative. It aired on July 15, 2021.
