State to Develop New Food System Plan; 1st in 30+ Years
The state has established a committee to create its first Food System Plan in more than three decades, according to a press release issued by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC).
The MAPC is collaborating with the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC), the Franklin Region Council of Governments (FRCOG) and the Massachusetts Workforce Alliance (MWA) to create the Food System Plan.
The goal of the plan it to “help Massachusetts to be more self-sufficient when it comes to producing and consuming our own food, to plan for more equitably distributing our food, and to prepare for climate change and other evolutions in our food system.”
According to the MAPC, the committee’s work will include planning for an ecologically stable network of food producers, consumers, processors, retailers and distribution hubs. Groups “working toward greater social equity, health and sustainable water use” will also be considered.
Over the next year and a half, the team will meet with farmers, the food industry, distributors, residents, waste handlers, and others to “produce a comprehensive assessment of the food system and to issue recommendations for strengthening the state’s food economy.”
The food pictured above is from the Medford Farmers Market, which brings fresh produce and other goods from local providers directly to consumers. The Medford Farmers Market opens its summer season on Thursday in Medford Square.
– InsideMedford.com