New Orleans Food Policy Advisory Committee

New Orleans Food Policy Advisory Committee
Name	New Orleans Food Policy Advisory Committee
Formation	2010s
Type	Advisory body
Location	New Orleans, Louisiana
Leader title	Chair
Parent organization	City of New Orleans

New Orleans Food Policy Advisory Committee is a municipal advisory body that coordinates food policy, urban agriculture, nutrition access, and food justice efforts across New Orleans. It operates at the intersection of city planning, public health, social services, and community development, engaging stakeholders from local nonprofits, academic institutions, and neighborhood organizations. The committee advises elected officials and municipal departments while collaborating with regional and national bodies to advance equitable food systems in the wake of major events that reshaped the city.

History

The committee emerged following policy debates after Hurricane Katrina and the rebuilding phase involving actors such as Mayor Mitch Landrieu's administration, Mayor LaToya Cantrell's office, and municipal agencies like the New Orleans Department of Health and New Orleans Recreation Development Commission. Early influences included research from Tulane University's School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, community organizing by groups like Grow Dat Youth Farm and Southeast Louisiana Legal Services, and national movements represented by City of Boston food policy initiatives and the U.S. Department of Agriculture programs. Founding discussions referenced case studies from Detroit urban agriculture, policy frameworks from Philadelphia's food system work, and advocacy networks such as Community Food Security Coalition. Over time, the committee has interfaced with entities like Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, Entergy New Orleans, Greater New Orleans Foundation, and civic research from Louisiana State University.

Mission and Objectives

The committee’s mission aligns with objectives advanced by leaders in urban food policy: improving food access in neighborhoods experiencing concentration of need such as Central City, New Orleans and New Orleans East, supporting urban agriculture exemplars like Market Umbrella, and informing ordinances analogous to those in Portland, Oregon and Seattle. Primary objectives include increasing participation by stakeholders such as Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana, integrating nutrition guidance from American Heart Association and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and advancing land-use strategies similar to plans from New York City Department of Parks and Recreation and San Francisco Department of Public Health.

Governance and Membership

Governance incorporates appointed representatives from mayoral offices, municipal departments, and community organizations comparable to models used by Chicago Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities and advisory boards like Los Angeles Food Policy Council. Membership typically includes urban farmers associated with The Common Ground Relief Farm, small business owners from Vieux Carré vendors, public health experts from Ochsner Health System, and researchers from Xavier University of Louisiana and University of New Orleans. Ex officio seats have paralleled appointments from agencies such as New Orleans Police Department for safety coordination, Orleans Parish School Board for school meal policy, and Housing Authority of New Orleans for senior nutrition programs.

Programs and Initiatives

Programs reflect multifaceted interventions connecting to national examples like Farm to School and regional pilots by Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority. Initiatives include urban site activation projects with partners such as Elizabeth's Neighborhood Center, mobile market pilots inspired by New York City's Green Carts, community composting modeled on San Francisco's Recology programs, and workforce development training linked to institutions like Tulane University School of Architecture and Loyola University New Orleans. The committee has supported farmers market coordination with organizations like Crescent City Farmers Market, emergency food distribution planning with American Red Cross and Salvation Army, and policy toolkits drawing on resources from National League of Cities and Health Care Without Harm.

Partnerships and Funding

Partnerships span philanthropic actors such as Kresge Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and W.K. Kellogg Foundation, technical partners including USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and NOAA, and civic collaborators like Urban Conservancy and Green Light New Orleans. Funding mechanisms have included municipal allocations, grants from entities like Wallace Foundation, program contracts with New Orleans Health Department, and private sponsorships from corporations including Chevron in certain community projects. Collaboration with regional trustees such as Greater New Orleans, Inc. and federal engagement with Department of Housing and Urban Development have supported resilience-oriented food infrastructure investments.

Impact and Evaluation

Evaluation efforts draw on metrics used by peer bodies such as Baltimore Food Policy Initiative and research partnerships with Louisiana Public Health Institute and Urban Institute to assess food access, economic development, and health outcomes. Reported impacts include increased produce availability at markets like Bywater Farmers Market, land-use policy adjustments influenced by inputs from Orleans Parish Planning Commission, and workforce placements with local businesses such as Cooper's Seafood and Hansen's Sno-Bliz. Independent studies by RAND Corporation and academic projects at Tulane School of Architecture and Xavier University have examined resilience of supply chains after events like Hurricane Ida and the COVID-19 pandemic, informing iterative policy recommendations adopted by municipal administrations.

Category:Organizations based in New Orleans Category:Food policy councils in the United States