Local Activity

Cities, counties, and rural townships across the U.S. have an important role to play in advancing the right to food. Local ordinances, policies, and resolutions can help take practical steps towards greater protection of the right to food in our local communities. Local governments can also use rights based approaches to encourage greater participation in local decision-making, improve transparency in how money is spent, and take steps to ensure policies and practices are promoting equity and justice.

 

Local governments and elected officials often have the power to develop policies and practices that lead to:

• School meals for all

• Greater access to land for growing food  

• Increased minimum wages

• Financing for cooperative grocery stores

• Funding for farm to food assistance

 

In fact, many local policies and practices that support food as a human right have emerged from examples of communities developing local solutions to food system challenges, such as through cooperative farming and marketing, mutual aid efforts, and land back reparations.  

 

Our members include community members, grassroots organizations, leaders and members of local food policy councils, local government staff, and elected officials who work to embed food as a human right at a local level.