Pittsburgh Food Policy Council
The Pittsburgh Food Policy Council has been meeting for about a year, working to craft a Statement of Purpose and Charter. In structure, the council serves as an advisory group. It consists of volunteers from many area organizations whose focus is on food related issues and includes Penn State Extension, Grow Pittsburgh, The East End Food Coop, PASA, The Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank and many others. The charter content represents areas in our local food infrastructure that need attention and is bench-marked against cities with successful food policies such as Portland and San Francisco.
An exciting recent development of the Council’s work is the formation of a positive relationship with City of Pittsburgh officials. The immediate work of the council will be to prioritize charter items and begin the necessary work . Penn Extension State is proud to be a part of the current collective work happening to strengthen our region’s food system . The Council’s Statement of Purpose follows:
PITTSBURGH FOOD POLICY COUNCIL STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
The Pittsburgh Food Policy Council envisions a food system that benefits our community, our economy and our environment in ways that are equitable and sustainable. The group is a coalition of organizations and individuals that welcome participation from the public. The Council serves as a collaborative advisory organization, bringing together people from diverse food-related sectors to examine, develop and improve Pittsburgh’s food system. The council is committed to working with City officials and residents of Pittsburgh to develop food and urban agriculture policy. The council will provide the City with technical assistance, education, momentum and support on issues related to food production, food access, food distribution, health/nutrition and urban planning. Our vision is that a sustainable food and urban agriculture system will:
• Enable Pittsburgh to develop and improve the regional food
system.
• Make positive contributions to our region’s economy, health and
sustainability goals
• Encourage personal, commercial and government food practices
that foster local food production, access and distribution
• Promote food security through the elimination of hunger
• Protect our natural and human resources
• Create infrastructure support for the growth of community
gardens and urban farming
• Create economic and job growth opportunities for neighborhood
residents
• Promote food equity for all neighborhoods through conscientious
city planning and development
• Create opportunities for collaboration throughout the community.
• Celebrate our region’s multicultural food traditions and recognize
the importance of diverse cultures.
