James Johnson-Piett discusses healthy corner store initiatives during the Pubic Forum of the 1st Buffalo Food Policy Council.

For a number of years, local food systems partners championed the need for a Food Policy Council. The inaugural Buffalo Food Policy Summit, held in September 2011, brought the issue to the forefront for local policy makers and other stakeholders laying the groundwork for action.

On May 21, 2013, the Erie County Board of Health voted unanimously to create the Food Policy Council (“FPC”) of Buffalo and Erie County as a sub-commission of the Erie County Board of Health, the first of its kind in New York State. A resolution was also adopted by the City of Buffalo Common Council in July 2013.

The FPC was the result of the support and collaboration of many contributors, including:

• The Community Foundation of Greater Buffalo
• W.D. Henry & Sons Farm
• University at Buffalo’s School of Architecture and Planning
• Good Earth, Inc
• Healthy Kids- Healthy Communities – Buffalo Partnership (a program of The Robert Wood
• Johnson Foundation)
• Oles Family Farm
• Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc.
• Cornell Cooperative Extension of Erie County
• Buffalo City Councilmembers Michael LoCurto and David Rivera
• Be Healthy Institute
• Dash’s Market
• Erie County Department of Environment and Planning
• Erie County Department of Health Public Health
• Western New York Environmental Alliance
• Grassroots Gardens of Buffalo
• Massachusetts Avenue Project