Eat Greater Iowa Project

Statewide Regional Value Chain Coordination for a Stronger Iowa Food System

The Eat Greater Iowa project is a USDA-funded project to improve Iowa’s food system by expanding Value Chain Coordination (VCC) across all regions of the state. It is led by several Iowa Food System Coalition (IFSC) member organizations, with Eat Greater Des Moines serving as the fiscal sponsor and host of 3 new Value Chain Coordinators. The project is being evaluated by Iowa State Outreach and Extension and has already achieved some goals in the first year with a solid track to meet or surpass the rest in the next two years.

Regional Food Systems Goals

Through connections facilitated by the statewide Value Chain Coordinators, we are impacting the food system by:


•Increasing consumption of, and access to locally and regionally produced agricultural products.

•Increasing capacity and efficiency of the local / regional food system.

•Fostering local food buyer / seller relationships.

FAQs:

  • We are focused on a number of initiatives that can positively impact our food system and make it better for everyone:

    · Create shared facilities for cold storage and processing.

    · Support local growers.

    · Get more food vendors involved with local procurement.

    · Advocate for policy change and education surrounding our local food system.

  • There’s something everyone can do, including you!

    · Be proactive in learning more about our food system and the opportunities for change.

    · Make simple changes to your shopping and eating habits. Whenever possible, buy locally grown and produced food.

    · Take steps to reduce your own household food waste.

    · Donate to our innovative efforts to change the food system, implement new solutions and test new ideas.

    · Share what you’ve learned within your own circles, including with elected officials and those with power to make change.

  • Companies play a vital role in improving our food system and lowering the barrier to accessing healthy, fresh food.

    • Commit to purchasing a significant percentage of their stock from local producers.

    • Help customers understand why they should purchase healthy, local food.

    • Implement a robust food recovery program for extra food.

    • Raise awareness about the importance of their role in the food system.

  • Leaders who care about climate change and ending hunger or food insecurity in our community play a vital role.

    • Change policies and regulations that create barriers to local food production.

    • Incentivize procurement of locally grown and produced foods.

    • Institute more robust tracking of organic waste in landfills.

    • Provide funding for food recovery efforts or offer tax credits to businesses who participate.

    • Invest in a public food recovery system, similar to the trash and recycling systems currently in place.

  • Landlords play a vital role, both in sharing extra food we collect and distribute with their tenants and allowing individuals to grow their own food.

    • Receive recovered food from retailers and offer it in common spaces at no cost.

    • Allow residents to grow their own food, whether in individual plots or a communal garden.

    • Provide access to water for resident gardeners.