Food policy councils are established throughout the U.S. and Canada. They can be local (city and/or county) regional, or statewide. They have provided government officials and those interested in food a forum to identify policies that harness the potential of the food system to foster economic development, provide children and those in need with greater access to fresh and nutritious foods, and support stewardship of finite land and water resources.
There was no body in Dane County that could claim to represent food concerns in the unique way that a food council would. The work on institutional buying, local branding, and dealing with food waste effectively was not yet being done by any one group. The council was needed to provide a group that could examine the many ways our food system impacts the county, from the production of food through the food chain to the eventual disposal of food waste.
The Dane County Food Council consists of 2 County Board Supervisors and 7 community members. Community members represent various aspects of the food system including food security, nutrition, urban agriculture, food production, processing, distribution, retail and waste. The Council typically meets monthly and work teams focus on issues and bring recommendations to the full Council.
Appointments are for three year terms and are staggered. New appointments are usually made in April or May of each year.
Click here for a list of current members
