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Food & Health Equity

The Food & Health Equity (FHE) Working Group’s goal is to influence policies and programs that increase access to, and quality of, fresh, healthy, local food for all community members.

THIS GROUP ADDRESSES ISSUES OF:

  • Improved, and equitable access to nutritious, affordable food as a means of addressing chronic disease and diet-related health issues in communities

  • Regulations that hinder or disincentivize commercial availability of nutritious food; 

  • Institutional purchasing of nutritious, local food, and related logistical obstacles 

  • Program and policy coordination across nonprofits, government agencies, academic institutions and food consumers

  • Educating the public on racial equity and income equity issues in the food system

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The Food & Health Equity working group is currently led by:

Jen England; Program Director, Food Recovery Operations; 412 Food Rescue

Britney Zwergel; Operations Manager, Nutrition Services; Adagio Health

Other active members include: Allegheny County Health Department, Grow Pittsburgh, Economic Development South, Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, 412 Food Rescue, United Way of Southwest PA, Adagio Health PowerUp!, UPMC Children’s Hospital, Let’s Move Pittsburgh, Community Kitchen Pittsburgh, Allies for Children, Common Threads, Just Harvest, Trellis Legal, and others

Current Projects:

  • Food Equity Rubric - Based on best practices research and previous examples, FHE is working to create a rubric, for use by public and private entities, that can be used for consideration during public housing development, private development, and public transportation decision-making.

  • Barriers to Food Business Report - The working group created a survey for small food businesses in Allegheny County to assess common challenges to starting and operating such businesses. Simultaneously, the Harvard Food Law & Policy Clinic researched best practices nationally for permitting and food safety regulations. The results were analyzed in partnership with Trellis Legal, and the report highlights some possible options for the City and County to adopt to help foster and support small food businesses. 

  • Food Hackathon ‘Food Access’ Map - In partnership with Code for Pittsburgh and the Western Pennsylvania Regional Data Center, members of the Food & Health Equity Working Group (formerly Food Access Initiatives Subcommittee) have been creating a map that will highlight where fresh food is available, which sites accept which forms of payment, and where certain programming is implemented. Map pending.

  • Healthy Retail Zoning: In partnership with the Duquesne University School of Law, the F&HE working group is reviewing zoning codes in other cities that incentivize the existence of ‘healthy food retailers’ in low-income neighborhoods. F&HE members and law students created a definition for ‘healthy food retail’ and have reviewed possible options for changing the zoning code.

Past Projects:

  • Cooking and Nutrition Education Guide - Based on a strategy identified in the Greater Pittsburgh Food Action Plan, FHE Member Mim Seidel and her graduate student Daniela Alcantara put together this guide to Free Cooking and Nutrition Education Programs.

  • Definition of healthy - An invitation to provide public comment at the federal level on the definition of the word ‘healthy’ led working group members to discuss and form their thoughts. This document summarizing the process and official submitted language is available HERE.

  • Environmental Justice - In conjunction with the Urban Agriculture Working Group, FHE collected input and presented comments to the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection during a statewide Environmental Justice listening tour. Comments addressed how EJ zones should be designated, and when development should lead to additional scrutiny by the PA Office of Environmental Justice, both with regards to current ‘food desert’ definitions. PFPC's formal response is available HERE.

  • Farm Bill Advocacy - In cooperation with the City of Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh Food Policy Council crafted a letter of support for components of the 2018 Farm Bill. A copy of that document is available HERE.