By Lindsey Day Farnsworth, University of Wisconsin-Madison
General description
Food policy consists of laws, regulations, decisions and actions by governments and other institutions that affect food production, distribution, consumption and disposal. Local (municipal, county, township) public policies — such as land use controls, zoning ordinances, health codes, and regulation of food processing and transport—have a great impact on community food system practice. Public policy is also critical to the development of food systems infrastructure, which it shapes through a combination