Southcoast Food Policy Council Working Groups/Initiatives

In 2022, the SFPC Community Advisory Board completed a community-driven strategic planning process, using the [2021 Southcoast Food System Assessment] as a guide. CAB members identified the issues most relevant to their areas of expertise. Over the course of several meetings facilitated by Tom Flanagan of the Institute for 21st Century Agoras, members used a dialogical approach to discuss and clarify all 155 identified issues.

These issues were narrowed down to 26 priorities and organized into four Working Groups: Education and Communication, Policy, Food Access Programs, and Capacity Building. Over time, policy priorities were incorporated into the other three Working Groups, and the Policy Working Group was dissolved.

Meeting monthly, the Working Groups help advise and advance SFPC initiatives and policies with the support of a coalition of more than 2,200 members.

Today, the Southcoast Food Policy Council (SFPC) is a coalition of more than 2,200 community partners, including farmers, fishermen, food pantry leaders, churches, social service agencies, schools, institutional buyers, and a diverse network of partner organizations across Southeastern Massachusetts.