In partnership with the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City, KC Healthy Kids hosted the first-of-its-kind 2007 Healthy Food Policy Forum on February 22, 2007. The purpose of the initial forum was to bring a diverse set of Kansas City community stakeholders together to discuss aligning the nation’s food policies more closely with our national health and nutrition goals, while supporting sustainable food systems.
Why a forum? The 2007 Farm Bill provided an unparalleled opportunity to brainstorm solutions for restoring balance between business and health, and policy and practice. One recalls the public service announcement that conveyed the message, “You are what you eat.” Frankly, what we have been eating has left our health in flux and it is time for change. Purposeful and positive adjustments in policy can drive that change.
The forum's objectives included:
- Engaging in a local dialogue on a prominent national issue;
- Learning about the connections among health, the food system, and pressure points in federal farm policy;
- Understanding the impact of federal farm policy on local food, farm, and health issues;
- Providing an opportunity for our legislators to obtain feedback on recommendations for federal farm policy from local leaders;
- Addressing federal farm policy issues through Kansas City based initiatives; and
- Establishing a Food Policy Coalition for Kansas City comprised of a diverse cross-section of community stakeholders.
Continuing the Dialogue
As a result of the interest generated by the February 2007 Healthy Food Policy Forum, it was determined there should be an organized coalition to continue the dialogue, thus the KC Healthy Food Policy Initiative was formed and met on a regular basis for two years. The Initiative involved up to 300 community stakeholders analyzing the food system and considering opportunities to improve it. They concluded that a food policy council or coalition would be the most effective way to improve the system. A food policy council focuses solely on improving the food system and it can transcend organizational boundaries and unite diverse interests around this common goal.
In February 2008, KC Healthy Kids sponsored Mark Winne, a national expert on food policy councils, to speak to Initiative participants. He explained that establishing a food policy council is a complex, multi-level process, requiring widespread community involvement and broad stakeholder input and support. Legislative enactment or executive appointment may be required at some point. These steps will take time, continuing effort, ongoing education and broad relationship-building.
Through support from KC Healthy Kids, the Initiative has undergone a strategic planning process to determine its strategic initiatives and to formally establish itself. This month, February 2009, a Healthy Food Policy forum is being held to reunite all Forum and Initiative participants and to formally report on progress.
Reference Materials
Core Group Materials
Forum Materials
Below are links to materials and handouts presented at the 2007 forum. Please note that some of these files are large.
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