PFPC Staff Attend First National Gathering of Food Policy Councils
The Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future (CLF) hosted the Power of Food: Cultivating equitable policy through collective action on September 20-22, 2021. PFPC staff and VISTAs Olivia Carter and Jen Giovanniello all attended. This forum was the first ever event bringing together food policy councils from across North America. Originally scheduled for the fall of 2020, it was postponed until fall 2021 in order to allow for an in-person gathering. In mid-summer, given rising Covid-19 rates, the epidemiologists at Johns Hopkins gave the official no-go on an in-person event. Not wanting to delay the gathering for yet another year, the CLF staff pivoted to a virtual format.
“ In Attendance:
44 US States
3 Canadian provinces
165 Food Policy Councils”
Dawn Plummer, PFPC’s Executive Director, facilitated a session with over 160 participants on Intersectional Policy Work along with other food systems leaders from across the country. Other sessions PFPC staff attended included Planning for Action, Investing in Equitable Food Systems & Economic Justice, Making the Case to Elected Officials, Food Systems Collaboration at the State Level, and Telling your Story: How storytelling can be used to change hearts and minds. In reflection on the forum, PFPC staff all felt that the direct exchange of experiences, challenges and ideas with other food policy councils in the breakout sessions was the most meaningful and reinforcing for our work.
Over the years CLF’s Food Policy Networks project and attendant staff have been central to the development and growth of the Pittsburgh Food Policy Council. PFPC staff have participated in various CLF led training and exchange opportunities as well as taken advantage of frequent curb-side consulting and direct technical assistance.
In the opening plenary attendees were asked to share a word or two about what inspires them to do food systems work. The dominant themes that emerged from attendees were justice, organizing, equity and the ancestors. In that same plenary session a speaker shared that they believe that everyone deserves “good love, healthy choices and second chances”. It was uplifting and inspiring to share space with so many brave and brilliant food systems folks. PFPC staff are grateful for the opportunity to attend the Power of Food and send our deepest thanks to the folks at CLF for bringing us all together. Read what CLF has to say about the event here.
