Fact Sheet

What is Food Policy?

November 2024 | Healthy Food Policy Project

Authors

Amanda Karls, Lihlani Nelson,

This resource provides an overview of local, state, and federal laws and regulations that impact every sector of the food system.

For references and endnotes, please refer to the PDF version of this document.

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Introduction

Collectively, food policies impact various aspects of our lives, including the well-being of people and planet. Food policy consists of the local, state, and federal laws and regulations that impact every sector of the food system and includes any government decision-making that addresses food system issues. Food policy councils and others working on food system change can use the influence and resources of governmental authority to address complex food system challenges through food laws, regulations, and other types of food policies. Given the breadth of the food system, public policy addressing food system challenges can also affect adjacent areas of social, environmental and health concerns. These issues impact and are impacted by the food system—fair wages, housing, the economy, land use, and environmental justice laws can address and be addressed through food policy.

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to Laurie Beyranevand for reviewing this resource and Aaron Burr JD’25 for providing support with citations. This resource is funded by the National Agricultural Library, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Suggested Citation

Amanda Karls & Lihlani Nelson, What is Food Policy?, Vt. L. & Grad. Sch. Ctr. for Agric. & Food Sys. (2024), https://cafs.vermontlaw.edu/wp-content/uploads/what-is-food-policy-2024.pdf

Amanda Karls

Research Affiliate, Center for Agriculture and Food Systems

Amanda Karls is an attorney, food systems policy advisor, and research consultant. She earned a JD from William Mitchell College of Law. As a CAFS Research Affiliate she has led and contributed to research projects including the Healthy Food Policy Project, among others.

Lihlani Nelson

Deputy Director and Senior Researcher, Center for Agriculture and Food Systems

Lihlani Nelson manages operations and a wide range of administrative functions at CAFS. She also leads and contributes to a variety of projects, including the Healthy Food Policy Project, which elevates local-level policies that increase access to healthy food. She has a background in planning and food systems, with a dual masters in Agroecology and Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Before joining the CAFS team, she worked as a Program Associate with the National Farm to School Network on the Seed Change initiative, building capacity for schools to increase local procurement, on-site food production, and nutrition and agriculture education.