Food Council Resources
Food councils bring people together to improve how food works in their community. Whether you care about access to healthy food, supporting local growers, or making food systems fairer and more inclusive, food councils offer a way for community members to act together.
What Is a Food Council?
A food council (sometimes called a food policy council) is a group of community members who work together to improve how food is grown, shared, and accessed in their community. Members often include community champions such as residents, farmers, educators, business owners, health professionals, and local leaders.
Food councils focus on the local food system, which includes people, processes, and places involved in getting food from farms to people’s plates, whether it is at the family dinner table, a local restaurant, or a cafeteria lunch line. This includes:
- Growing food
- Processing food
- Distributing food
- Preparing food
- Selling food
- Eating food
By bringing people with different experiences to the table, food councils help communities work together, share ideas, and make better decisions about food.
Why Food Councils Matter
Food councils give community members a voice in food-related decisions that affect daily life. They help communities:
- Improve access to healthy, affordable food
- Support local farmers and food businesses
- Make food programs fairer and more inclusive
- Identify local food needs and work toward solutions
How Are Food Councils Started?
Food councils often begin when a small group of people notice a food-related issue in their community and want to take action together. Some food councils are independent community groups, while others work closely with local governments or organizations.
Food councils may work on issues such as:
- Increasing access to locally grown fruits and vegetables
- Supporting food pantries, schools, or hospitals with food growing projects
- Encouraging culturally meaningful and respectful food and nutrition education
- Connecting community members to food and nutrition programs
Getting Ready to Start a Food Council
Before starting a food council, it helps to:
- Clearly explain the purpose of the group
- Listen to community members about their food needs and priorities
- Choose a structure that supports teamwork and shared decision-making
- Keep residents informed and invite them to stay involved
Starting small is okay. Many food councils grow over time.
Food Council Support Resources
The resources below offer step-by-step guidance, real-world examples, and tools that communities can adapt to fit their own needs, culture, and capacity.
- Start with this guide: Voices for Food – Food Council Creation Guide. This guide was created by university Extension programs and offers practical tools for starting and supporting food councils.
- MSU Extension's Supporting Local Food Councils Online Course is a free, self-paced course designed for Extension staff and community champions who want to support or participate in local food councils.
- Michigan Local Food Council Network (MLFCN) connects food council members and advocates across Michigan through trainings, meetings, and shared resources.
- Directory of Michigan Local Food Councils is a list of food councils across the state. Use it to learn what councils are doing or find ways to get involved locally.
- MSU Extension’s Community Change Model is a six-step framework that guides community champions in planning, taking action, and reflecting so they can create lasting, practical changes that support community wellbeing.
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