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Tell us how to improve FOOD ACCESS

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Food is one of our most basic needs and a pressing challenge for our community. This Climate Action Section focuses on ensuring all community members have access to affordable, healthy food, prioritizing local food systems that strengthen our ecosystems and economy.

Strategies to Improve FOOD ACCESS & NUTRITION

Climate Protection and Resiliency Plan

F-1: Increase production of local food

F-2: Improve healthy and sustainable food access

To ask specific questions about the Climate Protection and Resiliency Plan, please contact the Office of Environmental Quality by phone at (816) 513-3452 or by Email to OEQ.

Phases

Phases overview

Phase 1: Collecting your comments about improving ACCESS to HEALTHY FOOD

Collecting your comments about improving ACCESS to HEALTHY FOOD

Phase 2: Summarize the Feedback Received

Summarize the Feedback Received

Collecting your comments about improving ACCESS to HEALTHY FOOD

August 2, 2024 5:00 AM - February 22, 2025 6:00 AM

Our food system will promote climate justice by prioritizing areas experiencing food apartheid (food deserts) in low-income and historically redlined communities, providing all our neighborhoods with access to fresh, healthy, and affordable food options, and support pathways towards self-sufficiency. This includes increasing the opportunities to participate in and reap the benefits of urban agriculture and home gardening, advancing native permaculture practices, integrating natural system and indigenous strategies, reducing the barriers to self-reliance, and supporting a circular food economy.

12 ideas

Jordan Bryson1 year ago

Patricia Carter1 year ago There is an amazing program starting in the kc metro recently called "too good to go" which can be accessed from a free app. There are a small number of establishments currently participating. For any eating/drinking/bakery/grocery establishment over a certain size, I think it should be a requirement to at least offer the program to the public. I have personally purchased many times and know many of the surprise bags sell out quickly.

Carl Stafford2 years ago Improving food access in Kansas City, Missouri, particularly in areas experiencing food apartheid (food deserts) and the impacts of historic redlining, requires a multifaceted adaptive approach that addresses immediate needs while also fostering long-term pathways to self-sufficiency. Increase the Number of Healthy Food Retailers Mobile Markets & Food Trucks: Champion the mobile markets or food trucks that offer fresh produce and healthy groceries in underserved neighborhoods. These mobile units could travel regularly to different locations, providing access where brick-and-mortar stores are scarce. Support Neighborhood-Owned Grocery Stores: Encourage the creation of cooperatively owned grocery stores or food hubs. Neighborhood-owned grocery stores can reinvest profits into the neighborhood, ensure fair prices, and create neighborhood jobs, while focusing on serving healthy, culturally relevant foods. Food Delivery Programs for Low-Income Families: Partner with food banks, nonprofit organizations, and local governments to create affordable or free food delivery services to residents in food deserts. Mobile delivery systems or partnerships with delivery services (such as food hubs or neighborhood kitchens) can help transport food to areas with limited access. Strengthen Urban Agriculture, Community Gardens & Home Gardens Champion Urban Farming Initiatives: Provide resources (land, grants, training) for urban farming and community gardens in vacant lots or unused spaces. Urban farming can increase local food production and reduce reliance on distant supply chains, while also providing fresh, affordable produce to neighborhoods. Community & Home Garden Grants and Programs: Fund Community and Home garden programs that allow residents to grow their own food, learn agricultural skills, and engage in the local food system. Gardens can also serve as community hubs that foster relationships, strengthen resilience, and improve food sovereignty. Partnerships with Local Organizations: Partner with local nonprofits, churches, civic groups, and businesses to transform vacant lots into food-producing spaces. These groups can serve as intermediaries, helping organize residents and support the garden’s sustainability. Champion Food Distribution Centers: Develop centralized food hubs where local producers can sell to wholesalers or direct consumers, ensuring that healthy and affordable food is available and accessible in high-poverty areas. These hubs could also offer cooking and nutrition classes to help families make the most of the food available Address Structural Inequities in the Food System Address Historic Redlining and Food Apartheid: Advocate for policies that reverse the long-lasting effects of redlining, particularly in relation to food systems. This could include zoning changes, financial support for businesses that open in historically underserved areas, and addressing barriers to business ownership in communities of color. Promote Racial Equity in Food Access: Work with community-based organizations led by people of color to ensure that food access strategies prioritize racial equity. Policies should be designed to specifically address the needs of communities that have historically been marginalized in terms of food access, economic development, and infrastructure investments.

Alana Henry1 year ago Intentionally carve out funds for food systems support: if there aren’t funds to support food system work (engaging new producers, supporting existing food producers), then farm operations and the organizations who support them will struggle. Key needs for producers includes mini grant funding opportunities to start growing operations (seeds, compost, etc.), purchase equipment, and build infrastructure. Key needs for food support organizations includes funds for technical assistance/staff time, and other operational costs to host programming that further develops grower capacity. Consider a 50% advance and 50% reimbursement model. Funds are needed most at the beginning of the growing season (February/March). Ensure grant cycles get funds in folks hands ON TIME for those critical needs. App cycle in fall for winter approval. Also, city could cut a check to folks already doing this work! Strengthen Local Food Economy: Provide funding for existing or new markets to allow for expanded operations and a focus on local producers. Temporarily (or permanently) waive permitting fees for markets in areas with high disparities for food access. Support development of commercial kitchens to equip smaller scale producers with an avenue for crafting value-added products. Provide tax breaks or some other financial incentive (grant program, etc.) for local restaurants that source produce locally. Lobby for state funding (or utilizing existing local funding options) to support farmers who sell fresh produce or value added products to SNAP/EBT, WIC, SFMNP program participants.Reduce red tape and streamline processes for permitting/compliance. Hire SMEs to evaluate existing processes, eliminate redundancy/ambiguity and unnecessary steps, and develop streamlined processes for larger operations to navigate. Update ordinance language to better support urban agriculture. Engage community, food system leaders/advocates, and local producers in the process. Incentivize acquisition of land for growing purposes. Detroit has some great examples of low cost/reduced costs of landbank properties for food growing and distribution purposes. Consider a fund for land remediation/cleanup costs and longer term regenerative agriculture techniques that address soil health. Consider expedited approval of land purchases for gardens/farms. Support existing initiatives (with funding) that seek to engage growers and consumers. Example: Kansas City Farmers Market Passport, which seeks to connect consumers to local producers. Expand the KC Water program in partnership with KCCG and CultivateKC to aid farmers/growers with water access. Costs and headache associated with watering crops from city water lines continues to be a significant barrier for growers — and with the changing climate, it will become even more difficult.

Patricia Carter1 year ago

Brandon Jackson 1 year ago One way to improve access to healthy food is to remove the legislative and social barriers around home gardening.While anyone can plant foods in their backyard and no one has a problem with it, we still have legal and social barriers that prohibit this activity in the front yard. These barriers include city ordinances and HOA regulations. Not everyone has a backyard, but if they were given the opportunity to grow food in their front yard, they would jump on the first opportunity.

Brandon Jackson 1 year ago Empty lots that aren't being used for housing, should always be used by the local community to grow a variety of healthy foods. But healthy foods aren't the only thing that they can be used for. They can also be turned into a community farm, complete with livestock, such as chickens and goats. While the chickens can be used to produce eggs, the goats can produce farm fresh milk.I would also like to see such projects get involved with any major studies that can could net them additional funding and publicity for their efforts.

Patricia Carter1 year ago Kansas City still has empty lots. Instead of them sitting empty, start encouraging neighborhoods to use them as community gardens for all. Perhaps a neighbor willing to cultivate and maintain it can earn the land for free. Increases pollinators while proving free food. If investors refuse to do anything with land they own, at a certain point they must pay to convert it into a community garden even if it’s just a vegetable garden with tomatoes for the neighborhood.

Ami Freeberg1 year ago The healthiest food is grown right here in our community. Kansas City should invest in urban agriculture and local food systems to make sure farmers can thrive, markets are economically viable, and people have opportunities to grow food for themselves and their community to increase self-reliance. In addition to adding full support to the comments made by Alana Henry, I would add a few ideas: Reduce zoning barriers and coordinate food system efforts within City HallThe current zoning ordinance allows for urban agriculture and front yard gardens, but also is confusing to interpret and difficult to navigate the appropriate processes. Urban agriculture touches many different departments within City Hall, so departments should coordinate how to support growers in each of their fields. Local food procurementDuring the Covid-19 pandemic, the federal government created programs to support food banks to purchase from local farmers. This created stable market opportunities for local producers, as well as made fresh food accessible to those in need. These programs were administered at the state level, but could be replicated at the local level using best practices from across the country. The City should also prioritize purchasing food from local farmers for procurement needs within City Hall or related events. Invest in conservation practices on urban farms and gardensIn addition to growing food, urban farms and gardens create ecologically diverse spaces within our communities. Growers often want to do more to enhance their ecosystem services, like building healthy soil or planting native plants to retain stormwater and attract beneficial insects, but these practices take additional investment. In alignment with the City's climate protection plan, these practices could be incentivized for urban growers, potentially in partnership with Missouri Department of Conservation or USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. We have lots of opportunities to grow support for urban agriculture and local food systems in Kansas City and look forward to moving some ideas forward in the coming year!

Lisa Hoover1 year ago

Lizette Valdes1 year ago Increase Availability of Farmers' Markets: Expanding the number and reach of farmers' markets, especially in underserved areas, can make fresh produce more accessible. These markets could also offer subsidies or discounts for lower-income families.Support Urban Agriculture: Encouraging community gardens and urban farms can help provide fresh, local produce. Cities could offer land or financial incentives to support these initiatives.Healthy Corner Store Initiatives: Partnering with local corner stores to stock healthier food options, like fresh produce and whole grains, and offering incentives for those stores to provide these items can be a good way to improve access in areas with limited grocery options.

Becca Craig1 year ago

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