About the Coalition

The Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Food Policy Coalition was formed in 2007 to help bring about public and private policy-based changes that foster an all-around healthier food system.  The Coalition has based its work on assessments of how food can impact the health of individuals, communities, the economy, and the environment.  Results of the Coalition's work were recognized in the most recent SustainLane U.S. City Rankings, where Cleveland scored #2 among the 50 largest cities in Local Food & Agriculture - helping it claim #16 in overall sustainability.

The Ohio City Farm, Summer 2010The Ohio City Farm, Summer 2010

 

The Coalition facilitates policy-based changes by...

The unincorporated organization has a unique configuration: the Coalition staff and working group members work closely together, with input and oversight from the Advisory Board, convening organizations, and funder(s).  The members of the five working groups tend to contribute their time through their capacity in one of several dozen organizations, including government agencies, nonprofits, community development corporations, businesses, neighborhood groups, etc.

Members of the Coalition come together to identify problems in the present system and, based on shared values around food, devise the best workable solutions.  The results of this work are explained on this site both in terms of the working group topics (e.g. Health & Nutrition, Local Purchasing, Land Use etc.) and the type of work (e.g. policy, research, etc.).

It's obviously not the most conventional organization - nor the simplest thing to describe, for that matter.  But what is important is that together the Coalition is making real progress, and we hope you will consider getting involved!