2020-2023 Policy Agenda of the Greater KC Food Policy Coalition
Farm Bill Advocacy Guide
Priority #1 Advance policies to improve access to affordable nutritious foods among those experiencing food insecurity or food apartheid in a manner consistent with food justice.
Food Access Working Group
The coalition hosts the Food Access Working Group regularly, with help from staff, to coordinate efforts around Priority #1 and to support collaboration and networking among stakeholders.
Government Nutrition Programs
The coalition advocates for state and federal policies which protect and strengthen government nutrition programs among eligible residents. Ongoing through 2024:
Fare Food Shopping
The coalition collaborates with KCATA and others to advance recommendations of the 2019 Better by Bus report, beginning with eliminating bus fares in bi-state metro. Ongoing through 2023 or until completion:
Healthy Food Financing
The coalition advocates for state and federal policies that increase financing for healthy food retail in low-income low-access communities or those experiencing food apartheid.
Kansas Food Sales Tax (completed in 2021)
The coalition pursues a reduction in the state sales tax on food in Kansas to a level competitive with neighboring states.
Priority #2 Advance policies to increase and reduce barriers to local food production and food waste recovery in a manner consistent with food justice.
Zoning for Urban Agriculture
The coalition pursues recommendations outlined in the 2021 “From the Ground Up” report. Ongoing through 2024:
Access to Affordable Land
The coalition advocates for local, state and federal policies that increase access to affordable land for local food producers. Ongoing through 2024:
Composting Regulations
The coalition advocates for local and state policies that reduce regulatory barriers to compost collection, processing and sales.
Priority #1 Advance policies to improve access to affordable nutritious foods among those experiencing food insecurity or food apartheid in a manner consistent with food justice.
Food Access Working Group
The coalition hosts the Food Access Working Group regularly, with help from staff, to coordinate efforts around Priority #1 and to support collaboration and networking among stakeholders.
Government Nutrition Programs
The coalition advocates for state and federal policies which protect and strengthen government nutrition programs among eligible residents. Ongoing through 2024:
- Steering committee and staff educate stakeholders about the Farm Bill or other federal policies impacting food security via outreach tools and presentations.
- Steering committee and staff amplify stakeholders’ voices using story collection postcards and other tools to ensure state and federal decision makers hear from them.
- Steering committee and staff work with partners in each state to identify and advance strategies for improving nutrition program participation among eligibles.
Fare Food Shopping
The coalition collaborates with KCATA and others to advance recommendations of the 2019 Better by Bus report, beginning with eliminating bus fares in bi-state metro. Ongoing through 2023 or until completion:
- Steering committee members and staff mobilize partners for decision maker education.
- Steering committee and staff advocate for necessary local government actions.
Healthy Food Financing
The coalition advocates for state and federal policies that increase financing for healthy food retail in low-income low-access communities or those experiencing food apartheid.
- Steering committee and staff educate stakeholders about state and federal policies impacting healthy food financing via outreach tools and presentations.
- Steering committee and staff amplify stakeholders’ voices using story collection postcards and other tools to ensure decision makers hear from them.
Kansas Food Sales Tax (completed in 2021)
The coalition pursues a reduction in the state sales tax on food in Kansas to a level competitive with neighboring states.
Priority #2 Advance policies to increase and reduce barriers to local food production and food waste recovery in a manner consistent with food justice.
Zoning for Urban Agriculture
The coalition pursues recommendations outlined in the 2021 “From the Ground Up” report. Ongoing through 2024:
- Staff assist the steering committee in developing an advocacy plan based on task force recommendations.
- Staff develop education and advocacy tools to support the advocacy plan and amplify the voice of local food producers, especially beginning and BIPOC local food producers.
- Steering committee and staff will begin outreach to targeted stakeholders and decision makers, educating them about needs, opportunities, best practices and recommendations identified by the task force.
- The steering committee and staff pursue implementation of the prioritized policy recommendations in accordance with the advocacy plan.
Access to Affordable Land
The coalition advocates for local, state and federal policies that increase access to affordable land for local food producers. Ongoing through 2024:
- Steering committee and staff educate stakeholders about the Farm Bill or other local, state and federal policies impacting access to land and capital via outreach tools and presentations.
- Staff develop education and advocacy tools to amplify the voice of local food producers, especially beginning and BIPOC farmers, to ensure decision makers hear from them.
- Steering committee and staff work with partners to identify and advance strategies for improving access to existing resources among local food producers, especially beginning and BIPOC farmers.
Composting Regulations
The coalition advocates for local and state policies that reduce regulatory barriers to compost collection, processing and sales.
- Establish a task force to develop local policy recommendations and an advocacy plan to support composting operations at various scales.
- Steering committee and staff educate stakeholders about local, state and federal policies impacting composting via outreach tools and presentations.
- Steering committee and staff amplify stakeholders’ voices using story collection postcards and other tools to ensure decision makers hear from them.
