One of the recommendations of the Fourth Regional Plan, which charts the course for the Tri-State Region through 2040, is to “Expand access to healthy, affordable food” as a means to achieve the overarching goals of supporting healthy and livable communities and making the region affordable for everyone. Recently New York City Council passed legislation for the development of a 10-year Food Policy Plan for New York, which is an example of a key step toward equity-focused food planning at the city scale. But, as food planning scholars in the US around the world caution, to ensure that city food system planning efforts are effective and equitable for all constituencies involved in feeding the city, we should also “think like a region” and engage with planning at the foodshed scale.

This forum aims to elevate this perspective and discuss the development of a Regional Food Equity Plan for New York with invited experts from public, private, nonprofit and research organizations, who already play important roles in food policy in the Tri-State area. Some of the questions we will discuss are: What evidence and constituencies are needed to create a long-term plan for a healthier, more sustainable and more equitable food system for the Tri-State region? How do we measure racial equity in the regional food system? How do we ensure that the planning process remains comprehensive across all food system sectors? What theory of change and organizational structure are best suited for the development of a Tri-State food plan for the next decade? On March 25, join the CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute to explore these and other key dimensions of food equity research in New York.

Speakers

• Kolu Zigbi, Consultant and Former Program Director for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems, Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation
• Kate Clancy, Food Systems Consultant and Visiting Scholar, Center for a Livable Future, Johns Hopkins University
• Matt Waskiewicz, Regional Planner, Regional Planning Office, NYC Department of City Planning
• Kate Fullam, Executive Director, East End Food Institute

Moderator

• Nevin Cohen, Research Director, CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute and Associate Professor, CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy