Food Action Plan

What is the Food Action Plan?

The Food Action Plan is the City of Seattle's roadmap for an equitable, sustainable, and resilient local food system that supports healthy, vibrant communities.

The plan outlines strategies and actions the City can take to improve our local food system while advancing interrelated goals of race and social justice, food security, food sovereignty, health, environmental sustainability, economic development, fair labor, and more. The plan is also a framework to coordinate and align the many City departments that develop and implement food programs and policies.

A multi-department effort is underway to update the Food Action Plan for the first time since 2012. 

What's Happening Now?

Updated May 5, 2023

The City’s Food Action Plan Interdepartmental Team has developed a revised draft of the updated plan that addresses feedback from earlier community engagement and public comment. The draft is going through a final review process with government officials.

The current includes 8 Strategic Priorities and 49 Actions oriented around these goal areas:

  • Increase Community Food Security
  • Support Local & Traditional Foods
  • Advance an Equitable Local Economy
  • Prevent Food Waste & Climate Pollution

The draft Actions are a mix of existing, enhanced, and new work—and all respond to the priorities and values shared by hundreds of community members, especially those most affected by food system inequities.

Community Engagement to inform the Food Action Plan Update

Since September 2021, we have been engaging with a wide range of food system experts, focusing on those who represent frontline communities most impacted by racial inequities in our food system. Key themes from these community engagements are summarized in the select reports and presentations listed below:

Seattle’s Environmental Justice Committee provided advice throughout every major phase of the update process by creating Food Justice Values to guide the Food Action Plan’s development, consulting on community engagement strategies, and prioritizing actions for inclusion in the Food Action Plan Update  

In July and August 2022, the draft Strategic Priorities and Actions were made available for public comment. The public comments can be viewed here: seattlefoodactionplan.consider.it. 

2012 Food Action Plan

Seattle's first Food Action Plan was developed in 2012 and intended to be a five-year roadmap to increase access to affordable, healthy, culturally appropriate food; expand opportunities to grow food in the City; strengthen our regional food economy; and reduce food-related waste. 

Food Policies and Programs

The Food Action Plan is implemented by multiple City departments working in collaboration with many community partners and other institutions. The plan aims to align with other City initiatives including the Comprehensive Plan, Duwamish Valley Program, Equity & Environment Initiative, Green New Deal, Race and Social Justice Initiative, and 2022 Solid Waste Plan Update.  

Click on the links below to visit the webpages of major food-related policies and programs across the City. 

Food Security 

Urban Agriculture & Land Use 

Economic Development and Labor 

Food Waste Prevention, Rescue, and Composting

City grant programs focused on food

Other City grant programs that will consider proposals for food-related work 

Sustainability and Environment

Jessyn Farrell, Director
Address: 700 5th Avenue, #1868, Seattle, WA, 98104
Mailing Address: PO Box 94729, Seattle, WA, 98124-4729
Phone: (206) 256-5158
maketa.brazier@seattle.gov

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