Goal 1
Ensure access to healthy food for all
Access to culturally appropriate fresh produce and whole foods is essential for a nutritionally balanced diet and overall health. While some residents in Kent County have access to these foods on a regular basis, we know that many in our community do not. This has significant impacts on our community members’ health and wellbeing.
Key findings from the food system assessment revealed that food insecurity in Kent County peaked during the Great Recession and briefly spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic. While the current overall food insecurity rate for Kent County stands at 12.4% of the population, food insecurity rates vary widely by census tract across the county—from 5.4% to as high as 26.4%. Also, Black and Latino residents of Kent County experience greater rates of food insecurity at 31% and 19% respectively.1
1 Kent County Food System Assessment
Objective 1:
Build and design our community to ensure access to healthy food in all neighborhoods
Objective 2:
Invest in programs that address the affordability of healthy foods
Objective 3:
Create and promote opportunities for people to grow, prepare, and share their own food
Objective 4:
Scale up food recovery efforts to ensure that excess food goes to people, not landfills
Objective 5:
Support an effective, sustainable, and equitable charitable food system
Kent County Food Policy Council's Next Steps
Moving the plan forward
Partnership Engagement:
The Council will convene stakeholders to prioritize and work together on recommendations and identify relevant funding
Coordination of Action Items:
The Council will coordinate, track and delegate actions with community partners and members to ensure effective execution.
Progress Assessment:
Regular evaluation will assess and track the success of the plan.
Community Engagement:
The Council engage our community to present findings, gather community input and communicate about progress made
Learn More