New England Food Policy Advocacy Guide

This guide is designed to provide organizations and advocates with information, support, and inspiration to promote policy changes that build a more robust and resilient regional food system. The report is intended as a tool to guide individuals, organizations, coalitions, agencies, and policymakers to pursue supportive public policies and remove policy barriers. It was developed by American Farmland Trust, Conservation Law Foundation, and Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group.

How to Work with a Lawyer

While there are a lot of legal needs you can tackle yourself, sometimes you need help or information from an attorney. Learn how to work best with your lawyer to get the results you want.  Your lawyer will likely ask a lot of questions at the first meeting. Here’s how to be ready for them, and how to prepare relevant questions of your own.

Setting up Your Food Policy Council

What options are available for Food Policy Councils in terms of structure, group composition, and the decision-making process? How can you ensure that your FPC’s work reflects your community’s needs? Hear from Sara Dewey (CLF) and Andrea Freeman (MA Public Health Association) on these topics and more in our webinar, Setting up Your Food Policy Council: Getting Started With Governance. The webinar provides an introduction to Food Policy Councils and then dives into key issues you need to consider when setting up or participating in a Food Policy Council, including building effective coalitions, structuring a Council and working toward a diverse and inclusive membership, and dividing up roles and responsibilities to get work done.

Food Policy Councils & Advocacy

What is food policy? How can Food Policy Councils shape it? And what is the current landscape of food policy advocacy in Massachusetts? Learn about these topics from Sara Dewey (CLF) and Brittany Peats (MA Food System Collaborative) in our webinar, Putting Food Policy Councils to Work: Advancing Food Policy in Massachusetts. The webinar will cover the following topics: (1) the basics of what Food Policy Councils are and what they can do; (2) an introduction to food policy and how Food Policy Councils can shape policy at all levels of government; and (3) updates about food policy in Massachusetts and opportunities for Food Policy Councils to get involved.