New Food Policy Council Will Strive for Better Food Access in North Carolina County

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For cities and counties across the country, local food policy councils play a major role in ensuring healthy food is part of the community. Whether they are organizing a work day on a community garden or advocating for local policy to allow home-grown produce to be sold from someone’s front yard, food policy councils connect people to their food.

Cleveland County, North Carolina has begun conversations about creating a food policy council for the county, which has a growing Latino population.

Cleveland County is one of only four counties in North Carolina that has a catalyst coordinator, whose job is to increase access to healthy food options and opportunities for people to be active. The county catalyst coordinator, along with other county officials, are hosting a public forum on the formation of a Cleveland County Food Policy Council on October 14th.

“A food council in Cleveland County will provide a forum for people to have a ‘voice’ about food issues in our county,” said Tammy Bass, the Cleveland County catalyst coordinator in an article in the Shelby Star.  “The Food Council can be a place to network and address issues that can help make our food system more secure and help offer healthy options for all residents,”