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DC Food Policy Council

About
The District of Columbia Food Policy Council was established through the DC Food Policy Council and Director Establishment Act of 2014.The legislation was passed and funded beginning in October 2015 to bring together stakeholders to focus on food access, equity, and the food economy. The DCFPC was called for by the Sustainable DC Plan, and community advocates in 2014 and 2015 food and urban agriculture DC Council roundtables. The DCFPC was inspired by the many people around the county and world working to increase food access, security, and sovereignty by strengthening and revitalizing local food systems and economies. Local advocates recognized that many different communities and agencies have been addressing issues of food equity, access, agriculture, and business and related health disparities in the District of Columbia for many years. The DCFPC was additionally inspired by the October 2014 report titled “Sustainable DC Mayor’s Order Food Access and Security Report,” published by the District Department of the Environment which listed the establishment of a citywide Food Policy Council as a critical next step to achieve its policy recommendations. The DCFPC’s goal is to bring these parties together in one place to collaborate on improving food access, equity, and economy for all in the District.

Funding Opportunities
This page contains links to grants and other funding opportunities for those working or volunteering in the DC food system. We typically announce these opportunities at working group and full DCFPC meetings each month. Check back here periodically for updates.

A Municipal Guide to Climate-Friendly Food Purchasing
Municipalities across the country are stepping up to fight climate change, but for most, a key strategy has been missing from the menu of solutions: climate-friendly food purchasing. Meat and dairy generate more global greenhouse gas emissions than the entire transportation sector, yet reducing the consumption of animal products through institutional purchasing remains a largely untapped yet highly effective, cost-saving approach to mitigating climate change while promoting public health. This guide describes step-by-step actions municipalities can take to adopt climate-friendly food purchasing practices and offers a variety of tools and approaches, including a model food purchasing policy and climate-friendly food standards as well as sample policies from cities and counties across the country. The guide also offers guidance on how municipalities can use the money saved from purchasing fewer animal products to buy more sustainable food.

DCPS School Food Today
DC Public Schools’ Food and Nutrition Services Team and DC Greens are working together to convene a School Food Advisory Board made up of members of the school community including parents, students, food service personnel, teachers and non-profit partners. The meetings provide a collaborative space for DCPS Food and Nutrition Services leadership and their food service providers (DC Central Kitchen and SodexoMAGIC) to share updates and receive feedback from YOU. By working together, we can continue enhancing our school meals program to ensure that food served is tasty, nutritious, and culturally relevant.

Should the government regulate unhealthy food?
Inspired by a movement that touts healthy eating and warns of danger from an industrialized food supply, millions of Americans are cutting back on processed and fast foods and sugary soda. Many are turning to fresh, lean and “clean” foods out of fear that sugar, salt, fat and additives can lead to heart disease, obesity, diabetes and other problems. Other Americans, however, continue to eat unhealthily, contributing to record levels of diet-related illnesses and rising health care costs. Healthy-eating activists want the government to tax sugary sodas, mandate expanded nutrition labels and restrict portion sizes. The food industry is fighting such proposals, contending that changing the nation's eating habits lies more with the free market than with legislation. Meanwhile, nutritionists and medical professionals are debating the value of gluten-free diets, with proponents claiming that wheat products lead to a wide range of illnesses and critics arguing that the diets lack scientific merit.

Join the School Food Advisory Board!
DC Public Schools’ Food and Nutrition Services Team and DC Greens are working together to convene a School Food Advisory Board made up of members of the school community including parents, students, food service personnel, teachers and non-profit partners. The meetings provide a collaborative space for DCPS Food and Nutrition Services leadership and their food service providers (DC Central Kitchen and SodexoMAGIC) to share updates and receive feedback from YOU. By working together, we can continue enhancing our school meals program to ensure that food served is tasty, nutritious, and culturally relevant.

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Interactive Map
The Food Policy Council has compiled a local food access interactive map. Access to healthy food is a critical need for all DC residents across all 8 wards. The District of Columbia Food System Map is a joint project of the District of Columbia Office of Planning and the DC Food Policy Council. The data and maps here are a resource for people seeking information about our local food system, amenities, and businesses.