Document Type
Research Brief
Date
11-1-2025
Keywords
Food system workers; labor equity; Food Policy Councils; frontline workers; farm labor; fair labor practices; food justice; local food governance; worker advocacy; sustainable food systems, briefs
Language
Eng
Disciplines
International and Community Nutrition
Description/Abstract
Food system workers; farm laborers, grocery clerks, restaurant staff, and food processors are the backbone of our everyday meals, yet their voices are largely missing from the councils that shape local food policy. Despite being essential to food security and community health, these workers face low wages, poorworking conditions, and limited protections. Food Policy Councils (FPCs), which aim to advance equity and sustainability in food systems, rarely prioritize labor issues. The study, drawing on national survey data and interviews with over 25 FPC leaders, finds that structural constraints, internal conflicts, limited capacity, and weak connections with labor organizations prevent meaningful engagement with labor concerns. To create fairer, more inclusive food systems, FPCs must actively include frontline workers in decision-making, leverage local policy tools to improve labor standards, use public procurement to reward ethical labor practices, and build stronger partnerships with worker advocacy groups.
Recommended Citation
Sarfo, Frank; Minkoff-Zern, Laura-Anne; and Robinson, Jonnell A., "Buy Better: How Food Policy Councils Leverage Procurement to Improve Food Worker Conditions" (2025). The Lender Center for Social Justice. 97.
https://surface.syr.edu/lender/97
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
