What is Food Policy?

Food policy councils bring a variety of stakeholders together to address systemic issues related to the food system.

The Adams County Food Policy Council aims to:

  • increase access to nutritious and affordable food

  • strengthen the local economy by supporting and promoting local farmers and businesses

  • improve health by addressing food-related issues that affect disease such as obesity and type 2 diabetes

  • provide information about food system issues in Adams County

  • foster partnerships to promote education, food assessment, and action

  • influence policy to ensure that food production, distribution and consumption are beneficial to the health of our community

We address systemic issues through a variety of focus areas including, but not limited to:

  • economic reality

  • anti-hunger efforts

  • healthy food access

  • economic development

  • food production

  • food waste reduction

  • community health outcomes

Why Focus on Food Policy?

Food security is a necessity of life, recognized as a condition in which all community residents must be able to obtain a safe, culturally acceptable, nutritionally adequate diet through a sustainable food system that maximizes community self-reliance and social justice.

In Adams County, PA we currently have a food system that is significantly affecting the public health, economy, and quality of life of county citizens. 32% of our population is food insecure, with 8% of residents living at or below the Federal Poverty Guideline. At the same time, our county thrives on agriculture, with over 160,000 acres in farmland.

This discrepancy between poverty and food insecurity stems mainly from the Food Gap; a concept explained through a case study of an Adams County family in the video below. This council aims to bring together a diverse array of stakeholders to examine our current food system, develop community strategies, and influence food-related policies in order to ensure all residents have access to a safe, nutritious, affordable, and adequate food supply within a sustainable system which promotes the local economy.