Councils

There were over 300 active food policy councils in the United States in 2023. You can learn about each council with this dashboard. A food policy council (FPC) is an organized group of stakeholders from various sectors that works to address food systems issues and needs at the local (city/municipality or county), state, regional or tribal nations levels though policy. The council may be sanctioned by a government body, or it may exist independently of government. Since 2013, the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future's Food Policy Networks (FPN) project has attempted to reach every FPC through a survey, conducted every 12-18 months, which asks about their status, structure, priorities, membership, challenges, and successes. We share the data with other researchers and organizations to reduce the number of surveys FPCs get asked to complete. We also share the findings through reports, webinars and PowerPoint presentations. 

We invite you to explore our map to see which FPCs exist in your area. 

If you want to add your food policy council or update your FPC's information in the dashboard, contact Karen Bassarab at kbanks10@jhu.edu.

Looking for a consultant(s) to assist your FPC? Here is a list of consultants with expertise in FPCs, food systems, policy, and more that are available for hire. If you want to be included in the list, complete this form. 

Food Policy Councils at Work

We are frequently asked about what food policy councils have achieved as a result of their efforts. Drawing a cause and effect line with any collaboration is not easy.  We created the first Wheel of Achievements in 2016 by pulling examples from the 2016 FPC census of how FPCs are contributing to an equitable, healthy, and sustainable food system. Check out the Food Policy Council Achievements Wheels to see examples of FPC work over the years.