Virginia’s overall food system directly impacts critical health issues, the survival and viability of farms and farmland, the economic development of rural and urban communities, and the care and restoration of ecological resources.
VFSC benefits agriculture and focuses on a “local” food system in order to build our statewide economy.
VFSC addresses the barriers to a Virginia food system by facilitating more successful linkages between food producers and consumers including the development of opportunities for Virginia’s current and future farmers and processors to access markets like schools, universities, hospitals, and other institutions.
Enhancing farm profitability and viability through Protecting natural resources, sustaining vital agricultural communities, and preserving arable farmland as critical foundations of the food supply
VFSC works to increase access for Virginians of lower income levels to affordable healthy, secure, locally-grown foods through promoting the use of SNAP, EBT cards and WIC vouchers at farmers markets, community gardens, community-supported agriculture (CSA’s), and retail markets.
Educating Virginia residents of all income levels about the social, economic, environmental, nutritional and health benefits of purchasing locally-grown food, while supporting community-based agriculture.
VFSC works to facilitate the farm-to-table programs that influence college and university students as well as children’s lifelong eating behaviors reducing obesity and the risk of diabetes through school gardens, nutritional education and agricultural initiatives.
VFSC is helping to reduce Virginia’s carbon food-print by minimizing distance traveled by our food from producer to consumer.
VFSC is working to educate policy makers on the importance of developing coherent policies and infrastructure to ensure a broad-based, diverse, competitive food system that serves the needs of farmers of all scales and the civic interests of rural and urban communities
VFSC is eliminating barriers that hinder or prevent local food purchasing by institutions
VFSC is working to protect the security and safety of food for all Virginians.
VFSC takes a major role in connecting the many aspects of our regional food system, to educate stakeholders, and to serve as a primary resource hub for regional and statewide food systems by creation of a continuously updated online map of our food system network, especially for such topics as access to healthy foods in all communities, and access to needed infrastructure, highlighting gaps that need to be filled to sustain a more efficient system.
“Food Policy Councils act as both forums for food issues and platforms for coordinated action. The first Food Policy Council started in 1982 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Since then Food Policy Councils have been established at state, local and regional levels across the county. Today, there are over 20 state Food Policy Councils across the U.S.” (Source: Food Policy Councils: Lessons Learned)