With the beginning of a new year, and a new decade, the Florida Food Policy Council is looking forward to the future. It was only three years prior, in 2017, that a group of hopeful individuals came together with the idea of working towards creating a fair and healthy food system for all Floridians.

Once a dream, the FLFPC has become an active organization that works with partners across the state and nation to address gaps and educate citizens. Going into 2020, we are excited for what’s to come.

In 2019, we began hosting the Florida Food Forum, an online public forum that gives guest presenters a platform to introduce important issues and facilitate dialogue. The forum brought out a wealth of information on: Models for Food Products, Food Sovereignty, Nutrition and Policy, Food Processing for Small Producers, Cottage Industry, Animal Welfare, Farm to School, Food Waste and Food Banks, and Food Policy for Wellness. Past forums are accessible online here.

In 2020, we are happy to announce the continuation of the forum on a monthly basis, featuring new topics to allow further conversation and educational opportunities. 

Throughout 2019, we also had the opportunity to travel around the state participating in symposiums and workshops, collaborating on how to make a greater impact in communities around Florida. As we met with leaders around the state, we learned about various innovative approaches being used to improve the food system.

In particular, much of our efforts this year focused around food insecurity and food sovereignty. For the first time we began a policy scan project with Feeding Florida that allowed us to gain awareness of policies that affect access to food. We also participated in the GuideWell Block by Block Insecurity Challenge and Tampa Bay Urban Food Sovereignty Summit. 

Into the new year, we are excited to continue our work targeting public and institutional policies that affect the food system while working with partners around the state on new and impactful projects.

It is with the support and encouragement of our members and community that we have been able to grow. We want to thank you for joining us on our journey so far and look forward to making a larger impact in 2020!