"Local Policy to Promote Health Food Access: A Food Systems Framework"

To help local policymakers, leaders, advocates, researchers, and others understand policy options for communities seeking to increase access to healthy food, the Healthy Food Policy Project (HFPP) developed a framework to show how local law—including legislation, administrative regulations, and executive orders—can promote access to healthy food at various points along the food system. This framework also highlights planning documents such as comprehensive plans and sustainability plans which are often used to guide development and evaluation of local laws and other efforts.

The availability and accessibility of healthy food is largely determined by activities at different stages of the food system which are influenced and shaped by local law such as ordinances, regulations, executive orders, and planning documents. Because definitions of the food system vary, HFPP developed working definitions of six key food system components (grow, process, distribute, get, make, and surplus/waste management). This framework provides examples of specific laws and policies that fall into each of these categories, acknowledging that many fall within more than one. Access the resource here