If you are looking for ways to get involved, consider signing up for one of the Michigan Good Food Charter committees to support the implementation of Charter activities through coalition-building and coordinated policy action efforts.
To address the complex challenges of the food system, we have identified six interconnected goals describing the results we want to see in our communities.
Food Access to Food Sovereignty: Everyone has the resources to access and afford healthy, culturally relevant food where they live, work, learn, and play and the ability to shape the food systems that impact them.
Farm and Food Business Viability: The food system supports a dynamic mix of local, regional, national, and global food sources that offer opportunities for small-scale and marginalized Michigan farm and food businesses to thrive.
Health Equity: The food system supports opportunities for everyone to be as healthy as possible, physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually.
Fair Wages and Economic Opportunity: People who plant, harvest, process, pack, transport, prepare, serve, and sell food have access to living wages, benefits, safe work environments, and pathways for career advancement and leadership.
Sustainable Ecosystems: The food system protects air, water, and soil now and for future generations.
Climate Change Mitigation and Resilience: Communities are resilient in the face of climate change and the food system actively mitigates its impact on the climate.
How can we use the Charter?
The Michigan Good Food Charter is a tool for collaborative communication, advocacy, and evaluation. We can use it to:
Explore ideas that advance a good food system in Michigan
Identify common ground for collaboration within and across sectors
Build action coalitions around food systems policy change
Inform policymakers of statewide and local priorities
The Michigan Good Food Charter is a vision and a roadmap to advance Michigan’s food and agricultural contributions to the economy, protect our natural resource base, improve our residents’ health, and enable generations of Michigan youth to thrive.