• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

Supporting the economic and environmental sustainability of agriculture, natural resources, and rural communities.

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Our Work
  • Publications
  • Press
  • Take Action!
  • Blog
  • Donate

Search National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

NSAC's Blog

U.S. Conference of Mayors Establishes Food Policy Task Force

January 27, 2012

At its January meeting in Washington, DC, the U.S. Conference of Mayors established a food policy task force to be headed up by Mayor Tom Menino of Boston and Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake of Baltimore.

The group will spend the next six months collecting information and drafting a report for consideration at the Conference of Mayors’ June 2012 meeting in Orlando, FL.  The food policy task force will collect information on innovative food programs across the country, highlight best practices, and address how farm bill policies could positively impact urban food environments.

U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan met with the group and explained how various USDA programs can support healthy food enterprises and improved nutrition and can kick-start urban agriculture programs.  City governments are on the front line of America’s obesity epidemic and Mayors know firsthand the challenges that inadequate access to food pose for their citizens.

NSAC strongly advocates bolstering local and regional food systems to stimulate economic development and address the needs of urban and rural communities alike.   Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Representative Chellie Pingree (D-ME) have introduced a bill for local and regional food system development, the Local Farms, Food, and Jobs Act.  The proposed Healthy Food Financing Initiative is also a component of a comprehensive approach to address the problem of communities lacking access to healthy foods.

Filed Under: Local & Regional Food Systems, Nutrition & Food Access

Primary Sidebar

Categories

  • Action Alerts
  • Beginning and Minority Farmers
  • Budget and Appropriations
  • Carousel
  • Climate Change
  • Commodity, Crop Insurance & Credit Programs
  • Competition & Anti-trust
  • Conservation, Energy & Environment
  • Coronavirus
  • Farm Bill
  • Food Safety
  • General Interest
  • Grants and Programs
  • Implementation & Rule-making
  • Local & Regional Food Systems
  • Marketing and Labeling
  • NSAC Coalition
  • Nutrition & Food Access
  • Organic
  • Press Comment
  • Press Releases
  • Research, Education & Extension
  • Rural Development
  • Sustainable Livestock

Take Action

What's happening right now »

Subscribe for Updates

Footer

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
110 Maryland Avenue NE, Suite 209 Washington, DC 20002
Contact Us

Copyright © 2025 · National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition · All Rights Reserved · Website by Tomatillo Design