Thanks to the work of our very own Acting Food Policy Council, in 2008 the King County Comprehensive Plan was updated to state that food is as important to health and well-being as air and water. Our comprehensive plan calls a local and regional food system that is "ecologically and economically sustainable and that improves the health of the county's residents." The plan was highlighted in a fall issue of Planning Magazine, which notes that the concepts of a sustainable food system are integrated throughout the plan and include support for small-scale and family-owned farming. In addition, the plan outlines the need for reviewing the regulatory framework in which local food systems operate, particularly land use and zoning issues. The ultimate goal is to ensure that everyone in our region has access to fresh, healthy food.
The APA's Planning and Community Health Research Center will conduct the survey over the next two years and is expected to publish their report in 2012. The Center is dedicated to integrating community health issues into local and regional planning practices by advancing a program of research, outreach, education, and policy. In the Pacific Northwest, we’re lucky to be ahead of the curve in recognizing the value of this kind of approach to improve access to healthy food. And we’ll be happy to use the results of the study to further our goals around healthy food retail and to ensure that our family farms remain viable.
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