Masters Thesis

Analysis of a regional food initiative: a case study of the greater Kansas city food policy coalition

Food policy councils (FPC) are springing up in communities all across the United States. These groups allow communities and regions to assess their local food systems and determine how they can be improved. FPCs can either be government-appointed or a grassroots efforts and are usually made up of a diverse group of people that work within various parts of the food system. Diversity within the council helps to ensure that issues within the whole food system are addressed by the council. FPCs advocate for policy change, start new programs, educate the public and government agencies, and coordinate between existing food-related groups. In early 2007, the Kansas City-based non-profit organization KC Healthy Kids had the vision to start a local FPC in the Kansas City area. They recognized that an FPC could address issues that are deterrents to getting healthy food to the community and that it could work for a healthier food system that would in turn create a physically, socially, environmentally, and economically healthier community. This grassroots effort started as the Kansas City Food Policy Initiative and has worked to become the Greater Kansas City Food Policy Coalition (GKCFPC) with the help of many dedicated community members. This is a case study about the journey and evolution of the GKCFPC. This study will use interviews and observations to understand the motivation for participant involvement and the process required to form the GKCFPC. It will also discuss how an FPC can help strengthen local food systems as an alternative to the globalized food system by addressing the physical health of the community as well as issues of social, environmental, and economic justice.

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