Baltimore’s Food Justice Initiatives: Urban Agriculture, Virtual Supermarkets

and More

Laura FoxBaltimore Health Department

Abby CockeBaltimore Office of Sustainability

Who are the partners and what roles do they play?

The Office of Sustainability develops and advocates for

programs, policies and actions by government, citizens, businesses, and institutions that improve the long-term environmental, social,

and economic viability of Baltimore City.

• Working groups and community meetings in 2008• Formally adopted by the City Council in 2009

• Commission on Sustainability (oversight) and Baltimore Office of Sustainability (implementation) formed in 2009

• Office currently has 8 staff people

Plan Organization

1. Cleanliness2. Pollution Prevention 3. Resource Conservation4. Greening5. Transportation6. Education & Awareness7. Green Economy

29 Goals

131 Strategies

Baltimore Sustainability Plan Greening Goal #2: Establish Baltimore as a leader in sustainable, local food systems

• Strategy A: Increase the percentage of land under cultivation for agricultural purposes

• Strategy B: Improve the quantity and quality of food available at food outlets

• Strategy C: Increase demand for locally-produced, healthy foods by schools, institutions, super-markets and citizens

• Strategy D: Develop an urban agriculture plan

• Strategy E: Implement Baltimore Food Policy Task Force recommendations related to sustainability and food

• Strategy F: Compile local and regional data on various components of the food system

VisionA healthy Baltimore.

MissionTo advocate, lead, and provide services of the highest quality in order to promote and protect the health of the residents of Baltimore City.

- The oldest continuously operating health department in the US- Employs nearly 1,000 people- Programs for infants, children, men, women, seniors, and animals.

Healthy Baltimore 2015The Baltimore City Health Department’s

comprehensive health policy agenda for the city, articulating its priority areas and

indicators for action.

HEALTHY BALTIMORE 2015 PRIORITY AREA #3: REDESIGN COMMUNITIES TO PREVENT OBESITY

SUPERMARKET ACCESS DISPARITY BETWEEN HIGHEST-ACCESS AND LOWEST-ACCESS COMMUNITIES, BALTIMORE CITY, 2011

Estimated Travel Time to Nearest Supermarket (Min.)• Highest-Access Communities 1.8• Lowest-Access Communities 29.1• Disparity Ratio 16.0

“Building healthy communities means increasing access to healthy and fresh food by improving public transportation and other creative strategies that reduce the impact of food deserts.”

Baltimore Food Policy Initiative (BFPI)• Inter-governmental collaboration:

– Baltimore Office of Sustainability, Department of Planning, and Health Department

• Strategy to use city, state and federal policy, zoning and permitting to address food access issues

• Umbrella for all food access related projects, policies and partnerships

Baltimore Food Policy• 2009 – Food Policy Task Force Convenes• 2010 – Food Policy Task Force

Recommendations Released• 2010 – First Food Policy Director Hired

(Holly Freishtat)• 2010 – Food PAC Created– Advisory Capacity to Implement

FP Task Force Recommendations– Embraces Food System Perspective to

Health• 2011 – Food Access Coordinator Hired

(Jamie Nash)

Food Policy Recommendations

1. Promote and expand farmers markets2. Support urban agriculture3. Expand supermarket home delivery program4. Develop a targeted marketing campaign to encourage

healthy eating among all Baltimoreans5. Support research on food deserts and collaboration

with policy makers6. Create healthy food zoning requirement or incentives7. Improve the food environment around schools &

recreation centers8. Support street vending of healthy foods9. Promote and expand community supported

agriculture10. Support a central kitchen model for schools

1. Promote and expand farmers markets2. Support urban agriculture3. Expand supermarket home delivery program4. Develop a targeted marketing campaign to

encourage healthy eating among all Baltimoreans5. Support research on food deserts and

collaboration with policy makers6. Create healthy food zoning requirement or

incentives7. Improve the food environment around schools &

recreation centers8. Support street vending of healthy foods9. Promote and expand community supported

agriculture10. Support a central kitchen model for schools

http://www.baltimorecity.gov/Government/AgenciesDepartments/Planning/

BaltimoreFoodPolicyInitiative.aspx

The Center funds research that increases knowledge about the complex interactions

among diet, health, food production and the natural environment in the search for practices that are equitable, environmentally sustainable

and healthful for the rapidly growing world population.

Goals:- To increase the body of knowledge about the interconnections among diet, food production, human health and the natural environment in order to influence public policy toward more equitable and sustainable systems.- To engage public health professionals in the discovery of new knowledge, the communication of findings and the formation of public policy, and to influence attitudes and behaviors. - To raise individual and institutional awareness within the JHU and Greater Baltimore communities of our responsibility for environmental stewardship and, through curriculum, educational events, attention to university practices and technical assistance, effect individual behavior and stimulate societal changes.

Living for the Future– Greenhouse Gas Inventory for JHU– Sustainability at Hopkins– Water Related Projects

Farming for the Future– Industrial Food Animal Production Project– Public Health and Sustainable Aquaculture Project– The Sustainable Agriculture Education (SAgE) Project– Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal

Production– Healthy Farm Bill Initiative– Agriculture and Public Health Gateway– Community Supported Agriculture

Eating for the Future– The Johns Hopkins Healthy Monday Project (JHHMP)– Eat Healthy Monday– Meatless Monday– Food System Mapping– Baltimore Food and Faith– Food for Life in Elementary Schools– Community Food Assessment– Eat Local