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The Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Food Policy Coalition:"We Have Evolved"

The Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Food Policy Coalition: "We Have Evolved"

SPECIAL TOPIC — Volume 12 — June 4, 2015

Colleen C. Walsh, PhD; Morgan Taggart, MUPDD; Darcy A. Freedman, PhD; Erika S. Trapl, PhD; Elaine A. Borawski, PhD

Suggested citation for this article: Walsh CC, Taggart M, Freedman DA, Trapl ES, Borawski EA. The Cleveland–Cuyahoga County Food Policy Coalition: “We Have Evolved”. Prev Chronic Dis 2015;12:140538. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5888/pcd12.140538.

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On this Page

• Abstract
• Food Policy and Health
• Key Informant Interviews
• Key Themes
• Discussion
• Acknowledgments
• Author Information
• References

Abstract

Several pieces of legislation passed in Cleveland, Ohio, from 2007 to 2011, focused on improving the city’s food environment through urban agriculture initiatives. We used qualitative, case study methods, including interviews with 7 key informants, to examine the policy development process and investigate the role of the Cleveland–Cuyahoga County Food Policy Coalition in developing and implementing 4 pieces of legislation. In this article, we focus on 2 pieces of legislation: zoning designation of an urban garden and allowance of small farm animals and bees on residential property. Five key themes emerged: impetus for policy came from community needs; education and raising awareness helped mitigate barriers; a cultural shift took place among policy makers; social connections and individual champions were needed; and concerns over food access and health influenced policy decisions. Legislative actions are important tools to influence the nutrition environment, as long as they are based on local needs and context.

Acknowledgments

The authors were affiliated with the convening organizations of the CCCFPC when the research was conducted; Ms Taggart was the primary paid organizer. This article was supported by cooperative agreement no. 1-U48-DP-001930 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We thank Sue Flocke, PhD, Laura Donosky-Yoder, MPH, and Christine Schneider, MS, at the Prevention Research Center for Healthy Neighborhoods for help with this research.

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Author Information

Corresponding Author: Colleen C. Walsh, PhD, Assistant Professor, Cleveland State University Mail: School of Health Sciences, 2121 Euclid Ave, Fenn Hall 219, Cleveland, OH 44115. Telephone: 216-687-3816. Email: c.c.walsh@csuohio.edu.

Author Affiliations: Morgan Taggart, Ohio State University Extension, Cuyahoga County, Cleveland, Ohio; Darcy A. Freedman, Erika S. Trapl, Elaine A. Borawski, School of Medicine and Prevention Research Center for Healthy Neighborhoods, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio. When the research was conducted, Dr Walsh was affiliated with the Prevention Research Center for Healthy Neighborhoods, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University. Ms Taggart is now with St. Clair Superior Development Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio.

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The opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions.