Sponsor
Monica Cuneo was a member of the former Portland Multnomah Food Policy Council from January 2011 to December 2012, served as the vice chair from January 2012 to August 2012 and then as chair from September 2012 to December 2012. Her work was made possible by support from Portland State University’s Institute for Sustainable Solutions Graduate Research Fellowship. Amy K. Coplen attended meetings of the PMFPC in the summer of 2012, but had no formal affiliation with the council. Her work was supported by National Science Foundation IGERT Grant #0966376: Sustaining Ecosystem Services to Support Rapidly Urbanizing Areas.
Published In
Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development
Document Type
Post-Print
Publication Date
1-15-2015
Subjects
Portland Multnomah Food Policy Council, Food industry and trade -- Oregon -- Portland, Nutrition policy -- Citizen participation, Sustainability
Abstract
The city of Portland, Oregon, is often hailed in news and popular media as the capital of the U.S. alternative food movement. In 2002, the Portland Multnomah Food Policy Council (PMFPC) was established to address the region's growing interest in cultivating a sustainable local food system. Council members contributed to many notable achievements, including a healthy corner store initiative, a beginning farmer training program, and changes to zoning codes to expand urban agriculture. However, the PMFPC was dissolved in the summer of 2012 after local government agencies expressed that the council was losing relevancy. After a decade of conducting food policy and advocacy work in a region praised for fostering both citizen engagement and sustainable food systems, what can we learn from the story of the PMFPC? In this reflective case study, we explore the challenges associated with citizen engagement in local food policy. Through semistructured interviews and analysis of PMFPC documents, we provide insight into how particular obstacles might have been avoided or overcome. Our research speaks to the broad arena of public participation and highlights the importance of negotiating and clearly articulating the roles and responsibilities of council members, government staff liaisons, and elected officials; regularly evaluating the usefulness of established roles, structures, and processes; and making the changes necessary to maintain the relevance of the council throughout its life. We conclude with lessons learned and recommendations for both citizens and government agencies hoping to foster productive public engagement and to advance local food systems policy.
DOI
10.5304/jafscd.2015.052.002
Persistent Identifier
https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/28521
Citation Details
Coplen, A., & Cuneo, M. (2015). Dissolved: Lessons Learned from the Portland Multnomah Food Policy Council. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 5(2), 91-107. https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2015.052.002
Included in
Food Security Commons, Policy Design, Analysis, and Evaluation Commons, Urban Studies Commons
Description
This is the author's accepted manuscript for a publication that was subsequently published in the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 91-107. The version of record may be found at https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2015.052.002.
The copyright to all content published in JAFSCD belongs to the author(s). It is licensed as CC BY 4.0.