Pages: 101

No chapter abstract available.

Pages: 22

The stress the pandemic placed on food supplies exposed the brittleness of “get big or get out.” It illuminated the importance of the people who provide our food—from the farmers, ranchers and farm workers who grow it, to the people throughout the supply chain who process, distribute, and serve it. It revealed inherent inequities including that nearly half of the 25 lowest paying jobs in the U.S. are related to food systems. 1 And it pointed to the need for comprehensive food systems planning.

Pages: 26

This chapter explores the changes to U.S. food systems that occurred during the second half of the 20th century. These changes include: A shift to large, specialized, and increasingly consolidated farms and food industries, which led to significant increases in productivity and efficiencies; A smaller share of household income spent on food and increased consumption of highly processed foods; and Increasing reliance on global trade and supply chains, which both bolstered large-farm profits and increased the variety of foods. However positive, these changes came at the expense of environmental quality, diet-related disease, and diversified family farms, which—as Covid has shown—leave our current food systems vulnerable to disruptions and shocks. To address these unintended consequences, better food systems planning is needed to increase sustainability, resilience, and fair play throughout the food supply chain.

Pages: 26

The U.S. Constitution spells out the roles of and relationship between federal, state, and tribal governments. Within this framework, states hold planning authority but generally assign it to local governments. Local governance varies widely from state to state, forming a highly complex web of counties, municipalities, townships, and special districts with varying degrees of autonomy. Further, the federal government recognizes 574 tribes as sovereign, self-governing nations with their own laws and land use authority. Citizens of these tribes have dual citizenship in the states where they live. This chapter provides an overview of the many tiers of government that affect food systems planning. It introduces common types of planning organizations and describes various types of plans that can play a role in food systems planning. It ends with a discussion of the need to transcend jurisdictional structures to plan for food systems at a regional—or foodshed—scale.

Pages: 25

Planning is highly decentralized and occurs at many levels of government. Building on lessons learned from the various types of plans described in Chapter 2, this chapter offers basic principles and practices to guide planning for farms and food, whether in stand-alone plans, holistic food system plans, or as elements of other types of plans.

Pages: 139

No chapter abstract available.

Pages: 16

A wide range of federal agencies and policies affect food systems, from the Clean Water Act to the Farm Bill to the Federal-Aid Highway Act. This chapter provides an overview of major agencies and policies that influence food systems and—because of their significant roles—goes into greater depth about USDA and the Farm Bill. It also sets up subsequent chapters that offer promising cases and examples of what state and local governments can do to address food systems challenges and implement food systems plans.

Pages: 36

States grant local governments authority for land use planning, but some retain strong land use authority themselves. Local governments rely on policies like zoning and local ordinances to manage growth and development, and often to support local farms, foster food production, protect the environment, and increase access to healthy food. This chapter provides an overview of state and local land use policies. It describes different kinds of zoning and zoning considerations relevant to food systems, and other policies that can keep farmland in farming and support fair, sustainable, and resilient food systems.

Pages: 35

Beyond land use planning and zoning, state and local governments have developed a suite of policies and programs to sustain agriculture and protect agricultural land from urbanization and suburban sprawl. Most states have programs to support agricultural conservation and improve environmental outcomes, including support for local conservation district staff. A handful of states have explored ways to support farm viability and access to land. This chapter describes the types of programs and policies used to protect farmland, support farmers and ranchers, and address farm-related soil, water, and increasingly climate concerns.

Pages: 25

Most funding for nutrition assistance comes from federal Farm Bill programs but is administered by states. Many states have augmented federal programs with nutrition incentives to support healthy food choices for people in need. State, local, and tribal governments also support healthy retail policies, nutrition education and promotion, and emergency food programs that give away surplus food through food banks, pantries, soup kitchens, and other feeding sites. This chapter offers examples of various policies and programs that address food insecurity and improve access to healthy foods.

Pages: 25

This chapter explores three issues that affect food production but have not received much planning attention: farmland access, solar energy siting, and commercial cannabis cultivation. While policy responses are evolving, these issues have not yet been integrated into food systems planning. This chapter is a step toward providing some guidance. The chapter concludes with some thoughts about where we go from here.