Welcome
The Oconee Food Council is bringing community members and stakeholders together to cultivate a resilient and equitable food system in Oconee County, SC.
What is a Food Council?
A food council is a coalition of diverse community stakeholders that work to address local food system issues. The first council in the US was formed in 1982 as a “food policy council”, and the majority of councils established since that time do focus on policy solutions as a central part of their strategy. However, many food councils have expanded into systems and environmental improvements in addition to policy work in their efforts to increase food access, support local food production, and strengthen their local economies. These initiatives can be achieved through research (such as community food assessments), aligning the efforts of existing organizations, making infrastructure improvements, and identifying new ways to support and engage priority populations in a given area.
Our Mission
Our mission is to bring together a diverse representation of Oconee County residents and stakeholder groups to develop policies, systems, and environmental changes to enhance our local food system.
The Oconee Food Council will accomplish this by providing innovative solutions that (1) improve the economic, environmental, social, and nutritional health of the people of our county; (2) ensure equitable access to nourishing and culturally diverse food; (3) promote the rights of residents to define their own food and agricultural systems.
Our Food Council...
The Oconee Food Council (OFC) is structured with three members serving on the Executive Committee and six members serving as Committee Chairs. Each of our four food system-related committees was formed as a result of community work and feedback indicating necessary areas of focus in our local food system, with the two remaining committees handling the data and media needs for the OFC. Our Executive Committee is supported by Staff members who handle the day-to-day needs of the council and participate in meetings.
Want to get involved?
Reach out to us at director@ocscfood.org to ask about joining a committee!