>> THERE'S TRUTH TO THE ADD GANG
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT.
OUR DIETS AND HEALTH ARE CLOSELY
RELATED.
MANY CHICAGOANS IN UNDERSERVED
NEIGHBORHOODS ON THE SOUTH AND
WEST SIDES ARE NOT WITHIN
WALKING DISTANCE OF A GROCERY
STORE.
LEAVING THEM WITH FEWER
NUTRITIONAL OPTIONS AND MORE
VULNERABLE TO DIET-RELATED
DISEASES.
THIS ISSUE AND MORE WILL BE THE
FOCUS OF THE 15TH ANNUAL CHICAGO
FOOD POLICY SUMMIT A FREE EVENT
FRIDAY.
JOINING US IS RODGER COOLEY THES
USE ACTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE FOOD
POLICY ACTION COUNCIL.
WELCOME TO "CHICAGO TONIGHT".
>> THANK YOU.
>> FIRST IF YOU WOULD TELL US
BRIEFLY A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR
NONPROFIT AND WHAT IS THE FOOD
POLICY SUMMIT HAPPENING ON
FRIDAY?
>> WE ARE THE CHICAGO FOOD
POLICY ACTION COUNCIL AND WE
FOCUS ON BRINGING TOGETHER
COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND
ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE LOOKING AT
WANTING TO PROVIDE AND CREATE A
FOOD SYSTEM THAT PROVIDES MORE
JUST FOOD SYSTEM THAT WOULD HELP
IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF FOLKS,
IMPROVE THE SUSTAINABILITY OF
THE ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
OF OUR FOOD SYSTEM AND ECONOMIC
OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMUNITIES
WHO HAVE BEEN CUT OUT FROM FOOD
OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH BUSINESSES
AND ALSO HOW IT CAN CONNECT TO
THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF
MORE VULNERABLE POPULATIONS OF
CHILDREN, ELDERLY FOLKS.
WHILE WORKING WITH THE CITY
DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES WHO
TOUCH FOOD IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
WHETHER IT'S THE ZONING WHERE
STORES WOULD BE LOCATED.
THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
RESOURCES FOR CORNER STORES THAT
COULD SELL HEALTHIER FOOD.
HOW LAND WILL BE ALLOCATED FOR
URBAN FARMS AND GARDENS AND
WHERE IS THE WATER GOING TO COME
FROM FOR MAKING SURE THE CROPS
MAKE SURE THEY GET THE WATER AND
PUBLIC HEALTH AND HOW FOLKS ARE
LEARNING WHERE THE OPPORTUNITIES
TO GET HEALTHIER FOOD AND MAKE
BETTER CHOICES.
>> YOU SAID A JUST FOOD SYSTEM.
WHAT IS A JUST FOOD SYSTEM?
>> FOR US IT DOES HIT THE
DIFFERENT VALUES.
ONE, THERE IS A LOT OF COVERAGE
ABOUT INEQUITIES IN TERMS OF HOW
THE LIFESPAN WITHIN CHICAGO.
CAN YOU GO FIVE, 10 MILES IT CAN
BE A 30-YEAR GAP AND A LOT OF
THAT COMES DOWN TO DIET-RELATED
DISEASES AND COMES DOWN TO FOLKS
ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOOD OR ALSO
BEING ABLE TO PURCHASE THAT
HEALTHY FOOD IF IT IS IN THEIR
AREA.
TRYING TO MAKE THAT BRIDGE
BETWEEN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
OPPORTUNITY AND PATHWAYS FOR
FOLKS IN ALL COMMUNITIES TO BE
ABLE TO MAKE AN INCOME LIVING
THROUGH FOOD AND BE ABLE TO HAVE
IT AND ABLE TO SUSTAIN THEIR
LIVES.
WHILE NOURISHING THE LARGER
ENVIRONMENT.
>> WHAT ARE SOME OF THE HURDLES.
YOU TOUCHED ON IT A BIT.
WHAT ARE THE HURDLES THAT
COMMUNITIES IN CHICAGO FACE?
>> SURE.
SOME OF IT'S BEEN AROUND
LONGSTANDING REDLINING OF THAT
WOULD HAVE CAUSED FOLKS TO MOVE
NOT BE ABLE TO ACCESS AND BUILD
COMMUNITY WEALTH.
WHEN THERE ARE EPISODES LIKE THE
RECESSION IN A LOT OF
NEIGHBORHOODS FOLKS GET
DISPLACED BECAUSE OF FORECLOSES
OR BEING EVICTED FOR WHEN THEY
CANNOT AFFORD THE RENT CAUSES A
DOWNWARD SPIRAL IN THE
COMMUNITIES.
RETAILORS ARE LEAVING.
SO THEY ARE NOT HAVING ACCESS TO
FOOD.
AND THE FOLKS ARE NOT HAVING
ACCESS TO JOBS SO THEY ARE
BECOMING DEPENDENT ON BENEFITS
TO MAKE BARELY ENDS MEET.
AND IT'S CHALLENGING FOR SMALL
BUSINESSES TO NAVIGATE
ESPECIALLY FOLKS IMMIGRANTS
MAYBE ENGLISH IS NOT THE FIRST
LANGUAGE AND THEY DON'T HAVE THE
SAME CULTURES AND REGULATIONS
HERE.
AND IT CAN BE CHALLENGING TO
PASS THROUGH THE LAYERS OF
BUREAUCRACY AND GETTING ACCESS
TO FUNDS AND RESOURCES TO START
AND GROW THEIR BUSINESSES.
>> THIS IS THE 15TH ANNUAL FOOD
POLICY SUMMIT.
CAN YOU POINT TO SUCCESSES OR
OUT COMES OVER PREVIOUS YEARS?
>> SURE.
SOME THINGS WE HAVE WORKED ON IN
THE PAST WAS IMPROVED COMPOST
LEGISLATION THAT TOOK PLACE AT
THE STATE AND THEN THE CITY
LEVEL TO ALLOW FOLKS TO COMPOST
IN COMMUNITY GARDENS OR DO IT
COMMERCIALLY SO WE COULD HAVE
HEALTHY SOILS FOR URBAN
AGRICULTURE AND FARMING.
LOOKING AT URBAN ZONING.
TECHNICALLY ILLEGAL TO FARM
FOR-PROFIT IN THE CITY UNTIL THE
ZONING WAS CHANGED CHANGED IN 2.
AND OUR BIGGEST ONE WAS IN 2015
WE WORKED ON AND GOT 40
ORGANIZATIONS TO SIGN OFF AT THE
SUMMIT TO PASS THE GOOD FOOD
PURCHASING PROGRAM AND PASSED
WITH THE CITY AND COUNTY WHICH
SET STANDARDS FOR THE FOOD
PURCHASED OR SERVED AT COUNTY
AND CITY AGENCIES WHICH COVERS
320 MILLION A YEAR IN FOOD
BUDGETS.
>> HAS MAYOR LIGHTFOOT BE
RECEPTIVE TO YOUR EFFORTS?
>> SHE HAS BEEN AT LAST YEAR'S
SUMMIT WE HAD A MAYOR'S FORUM
FOR THE CANDIDATES ON FOOD AND
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE.
AND SHE CAME OUT VERY MUCH IN
FAVOR OF A LOT OF OUR PLATFORM
ISSUES DURING THE SESSION.
AND SO WE'VE GOTTEN NOTHING BUT
CONTINUED SUPPORT FROM HER
ADMINISTRATION.
>> IF YOU COULD SORT OF GRAB A
COLLECTIVE EAR OF THE CITY
COUNCIL AND MAYBE ADVOCATE FOR A
TOP PRIORITY WHAT WOULD THOSE
PRIORITIES BE?
>> I THINK REALLY HOW LEVERAGING
THE OPPORTUNITYIES IN THE SOUTH
AND WEST SIDES FOR DIRECTING
CITY RESOURCES IN A DIRECTED WAY
AND FOCUSED WAY.
INCLUDING THE DEPARTMENT OF
PLANNING FOR HOW LAND USE IS
ALLOCATED FOR OPPORTUNITIES FOR
GETTING FOLKS ON THE LAND AND
VACANT SPACES NOT RESERVING IT
FOR DEVELOPMENT DOWN THE ROAD.
LOOKING AT HOW THEN THE
DEPARTMENTS CAN COLLABORATE
AROUND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND
RESOURCES FOR GETTING JOB
TRAINING AND GETTING FOLKS
CONNECTED TO THE SOUTHWEST IS A
GREAT HEADSTART BUT THE BARRIERS
THAT FOLKS WHO WERE STARTING
WITH ZERO INCOME OR SAVINGS TO
BE ABLE TO GET THE GRANTS AND
LOANS THEY NEED TO START TO
BECOME ACTIVE PARTNERS.
>> RODGER COOLEY THANK YOU FOR
JOINING US.
>> THANK YOU.
>> AGAIN THE 15TH ANNUAL CHICAGO
FOOD POLICY SUMMIT IS TAKING
PLACE FRIDAY 9:00 A.M.-5:00 P.M.
AT THE SOUTH SHORE CULTURAL