Recommendations of the Food Policy Advisory Committee

We, the members of the New Orleans Food Policy Advisory Committee, believe that all of our citizens deserve equal access to fresh and nutritious food. Our recommendations focus on increasing access to a variety of retail outlets that sell fresh fruit and vegetables and other healthy foods. These recommendations will especially benefit those who critically need nutritious foods - our elders and our children. We are confident that implementing these recommendations will both improve the health of our families and spark local economic development.

We recommend that the City of New Orleans:

1)  Adopt fresh food retailing as a priority for comprehensive neighborhood development and 
     direct the Office of Recovery and Development Administration to provide grants and loans to food 
     retail projects located in target areas.

2)  Reduce regulatory barriers to businesses that sell fresh food.

3)  Provide tax incentives to encourage the sale of fresh food.

4)  Prioritize security for supermarkets and grocery stores.

We recommend that the City of New Orleans and the State of Louisiana:

5)  Make economic development programs available to fresh food retailers.

6)  Address the need for transportation to supermarkets, grocery stores, and farmers markets.

We recommend that the State of Louisiana:

7)  Develop a financing program that will provide grants and loans to supermarkets, smaller grocery stores, 
     and other fresh food retailers that enhance healthy food access in underserved areas.

8)  Expand participation in federal nutrition programs that enable more residents – especially seniors and 
     families with children – to purchase locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables at farmers markets.

9)  Partner with fresh food retailers to create vocational training opportunities in the fresh food retail sector.

As we understand that providing all of our citizens with access to fresh and healthy food requires comprehensive and diverse strategies, we finally recommend that:

10) The New Orleans Food Policy Advisory Committee serve as an ongoing, multi-stakeholder advisory 
      body to the City Council.

The Food Policy Advisory Committee consists of both local and national grocers, public health professionals, banking and financial leaders, local food and child welfare proponents, hunger and poverty advocates, government officials, and other stakeholders.  To see the full list of members, click here.

For a one-page printable document of these recommendations, with the list of members on the reverse, click here.

The Committee made its case for Recommendation #7 in a policy brief submitted to the Louisiana State Legislature.