Putting Food on the Table in Portland, Oregon: Food Policy and Regional Growth Management

Debra Lippoldt

The Coalition for a Livable Future (CLF) formed in 1994 to promote an integrated vision for the Portland metropolitan region. Drawing connections between issues that have historically been viewed as separate, the founding members of the Coalition recognized that problems such as urban sprawl, abandonment of the urban core and loss of farm and forest land are interwoven. The Coalition believes that in order to ensure a positive future for the region, we need to cross traditional boundaries and link growth management and social justice in regional planning. Advocates from land use, affordable housing, environmental protection, transportation reform, economic vitality, urban revitalization and food security have discovered a common goal--a more livable region for all of us. More than fifty organizations support the mission of CLF: to protect, restore, and maintain healthy, equitable and sustainable communities, both human and natural, for the benefit of present and future residents of the greater metropolitan region.

In 1999, CLF established the Food Policy Working Group (FPWG), recognizing the role of food as central to the livability of our region. The co-founders of the FPWG include the Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, Portland Community Gardens, an urban farmer, Oregon Food Bank, a PSU student, Sierra Club, and a local Food Pantry. Following a strategy session led by the Wallace Institute’s Kate Clancy, the group submitted a proposal to the CLF to establish the Food Policy Working Group, building upon clear connections between food policy and economic vitality, transportation, natural resources and affordable housing. During its first year, the FPWG explored local issues and reviewed possible focus areas, leading to the development of a focus statement.

Working within the interdependent Coalition framework, the Food Policy Working Group seeks to support regional farming and gardening by increasing access to regionally produced food, and protecting and initiating effective land use policies that strengthen community food security. Constrained by lack of any formal local government food policy, the FPWG is engaged in reviewing food access issues in the Interstate Corridor Urban Renewal Area (in north/northeast Portland) and development of a model of food policy implementation for use in other jurisdictions in the region.

The challenges of this type of work include bringing and keeping diverse interests to the table, introducing food as a planning concern, balancing urban agriculture with land use laws, and learning planning language. The benefits derive from a successful five-year CLF history of collaboration, unique funding opportunities, active local food advocacy, and the overwhelming need to respond to welfare and food stamp reform with more comprehensive solutions.

The Food Policy Working Group of the Coalition for a Livable Future is creating opportunities for dialogue between government leaders, farmers, social justice groups and environmental advocates-- all with a stake in preserving the local food system for generations to come.

Debra Lippoldt
Coalition for a Livable Future
534 SW 3rd Avenue, Suite 300
Portland, OR 97204
Tel: (503) 282-0555 ext 262
Dlippoldt@Oregonfoodbank.org

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