In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, food policy councils (FPCs) have emerged as a critical struc¬ture for organizing community-based responses to multiple food system issues. Strong relationships with various food system stakeholders have proven essential in inspiring coordinated action. Using the early results of a Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future survey of FPCs (2020), we discuss some of the accomplishments and contributions that 118 FPCs have made toward addressing hunger and supporting producers, school food, food chain workers, racial equity, and resilience in the United States and in tribal nations.

Food policy councils (FPCs) play a critical role in mitigating the impacts of COVID-19 in their com­munities. This study examines the characteristics of councils that use, develop, or do not use racial or social equity frameworks, and explores how frame­work use relates to COVID-19 responses and part­nerships. Survey data represent 193 FPCs across the United States. Survey questions addressed the following: (a) use of a racial or social equity frame­work; (b) demographic information (e.g., geograph­ical focus, organization type, U.S. region); (c) bud­get and funding, connection/partnership, groups supported, food policy priorities; and (d) COVID-related actions. Means, chi-square tests, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to describe the association among these factors and FPCs’ racial equity framework use. Results indi­cated that 38% of FPCs use a racial or social equity frame­work to guide their work. Having a full-time posi­tion was the only variable significantly associ­ated with using a racial or social framework. FPCs that use a racial equity framework reported more policy work (e.g., raising funds with community partners, advocating for community food system policies) and were more likely to work with Black, Latinx, and people with disabilities than councils that did not report using a framework. Further­more, councils using a racial or social equity frame­work reported policy priorities related to healthy food access and local food processing and have connec­tions with state-elected officials and social justice groups. Integrating full-time positions dedi­cated to advancing racial and social equity efforts in food policy councils can enhance policy advocacy, strengthen community partnerships, and may increase engagement with marginalized groups such as Black, Latinx, and people with disabilities.

The COVID-19 pandemic pushed millions of Americans into food insecurity. Food policy councils (FPCs) across the country played a vital role in organizing coordinated food responses across multiple sectors. We used a social network analysis (SNA) approach to investigate: (1) the network of partnering organizations and agencies within FPCs; (2) how the characteristics of FPCs’ network partnerships (i.e., degree, coreness, and density) related to programmatic, policy, and advocacy actions in response to the pandemic; and (3) how FPCs’ use of a racial or social equity framework shifted their network partnerships and responses. Local government agencies and food supply chain actors were core in FPCs’ network partnerships, while public utilities, correctional facilities, social justice groups, and others were non-core partners. Network density was more likely to be associated with any action by FPCs, and it was especially pronounced for advocacy actions taken by FPCs; trends were similar among FPCs that reported using a racial or social equity framework. The findings begin to uncover core actors in FPCs’ partnerships and opportunities to establish new partnerships, particularly with social justice groups. The results also suggest that network density (interconnectedness) may be more important than other network characteristics when responding to food-related needs.

Many food policy councils, food and agriculture-oriented groups, coalitions, organizations, funders, nonprofits, decision-makers, government depart­ments, and other entities work to address local food system issues and inequities that negatively affect human, animal, and planetary wellbeing. In this article, we summarize and reflect on the pro­cess of creating an open-access food system indica­tors database. Our goal has been to create a library of indicators from which groups can draw when assessing their local food system, identifying improvement opportunities, and evaluating their efforts. The indicators were extracted from seven sources selected to cover a wide range of food sys­tem elements and pertinent topics, including nutri­tion, agricultural production, racial equity, health outcomes, environmental impacts, and economics. Our work can contribute to needed research on monitoring and evaluating food system attributes and changes, developing a common set of indica­tors that groups can use to track food systems across places and over time and to assess racial equity, justice, and fairness in the food system.

This chapter explores the evolution and practice of inclusive governance in local food systems planning and policy. It traces the shift from expert-driven approaches to participatory, collaborative models that intentionally engage a diverse range of actors – including those historically excluded due to structural inequities. Through five United States (U.S.)-based vignettes, the chapter illustrates how local governments, food councils, and community partners have experimented with participatory processes to address food systems challenges. The vignettes illustrate that participatory governance is influenced by localized imaginations of alternative food systems boundaries and the narratives of those in leadership positions. Themes include the importance of intentional design, reflexivity, and power-sharing to foster genuine inclusion, as well as the ongoing tension between technical expertise and lived experience. Inclusivity is context-dependent and requires adaptation, leadership, and willingness to challenge institutional norms. Ultimately, while inclusivity is complex and time-consuming, it lays the foundation for more democratic and sustainable food systems.