Update – 3/31/09: The first SFPB meeting was held yesterday, March 30th, and it was decided that meetings will be held the first Monday of each month from 12:30pm – 2:30pm at City Hall, room 1101, open to the public.
On Thursday, November 20, this new board was sponsored by Austin City Council Members Mike Martinez, Lee Leffingwell and Laura Morrison, as well as Travis County Commissioners Sarah Eckhardt and Ron Davis at the recommendation of Edible Austin’s publisher, Marla Camp and Sustainable Food Center’s policy task force. The Sustainable Food Policy Board will serve as an advisory body to the Austin City Council and Travis County Commissioner’s Court concerning the need to improve the availability of fresh, nutritious, locally and sustainably grown food at reasonable prices for all residents, particularly those in need. The board will coordinate the relevant activities of local government, as well as non-profit organizations and food and farming businesses, and explore new means for the city and county to improve the local food economy-by monitoring the availability, sustainability, accessibility and quality of local food.
WHY: The City of Austin believes that making a wide variety of safe, nutritious and sustainably grown food available to all our residents will have a positive affect on the region’s efforts to reduce energy consumption as well have a positive impact on our local economy.
” We want to see more locally grown and produced products in our grocery stores, restaurants and schools and the Board is meant to bring together the community and figure out how the City and County can play an active role in making this happen. This benefits our community nutritionally, environmentally and economically. We can do so much more to promote local, sustainably grown food,” says Council Member Mike Martinez.
Council Member Lee Leffingwell agrees, “We are looking forward to working with the Board to find creative ways to protect our natural resources and create infrastructure for sustaining our urban farms and local food producers.”
Co-sponsoring Council Member Laura Morrison explains, “Creating this new Board allows us to bring together community experts to address the sustainability of foods, which is a critical component in Austin achieving a sustainable future.”
CHECK THIS PAGE FOR REGULAR UPDATES ON THE POLICY BOARD AND ITS PROGRESS
