Description/Abstract
One in seven workers in the United States is employed in food labor jobs, yet these jobs are among the lowest paid and least regulated in the country. Food Policy Councils (FPCs) have emerged to expand the benefits of food systems, however, few FPCs have prioritized food system labor concerns. This brief summarizes findings from a study that used data from the 2016-2023 Food Policy Network’s national survey as well as focus groups and interviews with over 25 FPC representatives and leaders to examine the challenges and barriers that have limited FPCs’ engagement with labor issues. The authors find that internal tensions, limited capacity, and weak ties to labor groups hinder FPC engagement in food labor advocacy
Document Type
Policy Brief
Date
8-20-2025
Keywords
Food Policy Councils, FPCs, food labor policy, food systems, labor advocacy
Language
English
Series
Policy Briefs Series
Acknowledgements
The authors thank Shannon Monnat and Alyssa Kirk for their assistance in editing this brief and the Lender Center for Social Justice for financial support.
Disciplines
Food Studies | Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration | Public Policy
Recommended Citation
Sarfo, Frank, Minkoff-Zern, Laura-Anne, and Robinson, Jonnell A. (2025). Why Are Food System Workers Excluded from Local Food Policy Councils? Center for Policy Research. Policy Brief #19. Accessed at: https://doi.org/10.14305/rt.cpr.2025.3.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
