A Food Policy Council is being created for the Mahoning Valley.
The council hopes to establish food policies that support local agricultural marketing, production, distribution and processing which are key to ensuring that Mahoning County has access to healthy affordable locally grown food. A food policy is any guideline, rule, practice or regulation that effects how individuals, households, organizations, institutions and government access, disribute, eat, produce and dispose of food. The function of food policy councils in general is to find ways to fit state and federal guidelines to local needs. We can have agricultural markets and many gardens, but we must have policies in place that support the production, processing and distribution of local foods in order to make a favorable economic impact. The council should be seated by mid-winter.
Quote from: jay on January 18, 2011, 06:52:41 AM
A food policy is any guideline, rule, practice or regulation that effects how individuals, households, organizations, institutions and government access, disribute, eat, produce and dispose of food.
Why do I need a food policy council to tell me what to eat? I eat quite well without some "council" telling me what to eat.
Unneeded, unnecessary and a waste of time and money. Another overreach of government.
I agree with you Rick.
Isn't it strange ... here I am a retired Senior Citizen on fixed income, and don't drive yet my pantry is full as is my freezer (no junk food or frozen dinners) and do not eat out because I prefer my own cooking and all my meals are well balanced. So I don't need an outsider tell me what to eat or where to shop for my food.
Dennis, part of the duties of the food council would be to regulate how food is disposed. Could you explain this part please?
I guess do you burn it, throw it in landfills, or compost it......or bury it out at sea....
I have heard stories that unused government supplied food must be destroyed and cannot be given away or even taken home by those dispensing that food. I have to wonder how much food is wasted by these government food programs.
As far as I know, the local food council would not be part of any branch of government. Grow Youngstown, a nonprofit, would be part of this effort. I suspect, that some food growers and food processors would also be on the council.