Twenty one community members have been selected to form the inaugural Birmingham-Jefferson Food Policy Council, a group tasked with the mission of improving our local food system.

The Council will work toward the goals set forth in the Jefferson County Food Charter, a grassroots effort drafted by farmers, gardeners, faith leaders and interested residents to improve our food system and affect policy change. The food charter addresses the community’s policy toward topics such as food access, sustainability, agriculture, distribution and the overall health of citizens. (To read the Food Charter, click here.)

According to Food Policy Council Coordinator Jennifer Ropa, the Council was formed with careful consideration to the social, economic, and racial diversity of Jefferson County's food system. Members were selected from five different food system “stakeholder” groups, identified to reflect the local community. These groups included government, the business community, community-based organizations and residents, food/agriculture and health and education. The selection process also took gender, race/ethnicity and target district into consideration, choosing council members who represent, live or work in a food desert area.

“As a result,” Ropa says, “community members from various backgrounds and experiences can come together to share their perspectives on the needs of the community.”
On January 12, the newly formed Council met for a day of orientation. The retreat was led by Mark Winne, a renowned food policy pioneer and author who helped establish the nation’s first food policy council in Nashville in 1981. Since then, communities all over the country have sought out his expertise on creating food policy councils.

“Mark did a great job providing background information about food policy councils and food policy,” Ropa says. “He engaged members in discussions and activities to set the Council on a path for success.”
The Council’s mission statement, developed during the retreat, is “to be a catalyst and advocate for food policy that reflects the priorities and values of the Jefferson County Food Charter." Members will be discussing the mission statement further, with plans for adopting a formal mission statement at a future meeting.

Council member Ellie Taylor, president of the Alabama Grocers Association, came to the council via her work on the issue of food deserts in our community. “I was working with the city and other agencies such as Main Street Birmingham on the issue of food deserts,” Taylor says. “They had asked me to consult with them on incentivizing grocers to bring them into these underserved areas.”
Taylor says tackling the problem of food deserts will be foremost on the Council’s agenda. Residents in “food deserts” lack access to or have limited access to healthy foods.

“The Council’s purpose is to evaluate the food system from farm to table,” she says. “We will suggest ways to enhance the lives of people in Jefferson County in regards to their access to healthy, fresh foods.”

Next month, the Council will meet to discuss short term initiatives, operational items, like the mission statement and governing guidelines, and engagement of the community.
“The Council has discussed hosting town hall meetings and listening sessions to be held at community venues,” Ropa says. “Future meetings of the Council will also be open to the public for attendance. We welcome any other ideas the community has for sharing feedback.”

Birmingham-Jefferson Food Policy Council members are: Monica Baskin (UAB School of Public Health), Virginia Bear (Alabama Beverage Association), Hana Burwinkle (Jefferson County Department of Land Planning & Development Services), Craig Corwin (Jefferson County Department of Health), David Fleming (Operation New Birmingham), Burgin Fowlkes (retired dietician), James Gibbs (City of Birmingham), Keecha Harris (KHA, Inc.), Maureen Holt (Little Savannah), Aimee Johnson (American Diabetes Association), Natalie Kianoff (Children’s Policy Council of Jefferson County), John Obert, Jr. (J3 Organics), Mark Rubino (Staysail Group, LLC), Ama Shambulia (West End Community Garden), Scott Silver (Jones Valley Urban Farm), Ellie Taylor (Alabama Grocers Association), Spencer Taylor (Birmingham City Schools), Patricia Terry (Samford University), Paulette VanMatre (Magic City Harvest), Chris Vizzina (Campus Dining), Kristie Waters (Adams Produce Companies).