Proposal Office of Food Resilience and Innovation

[Natasha Harper-Madison]

Good afternoon, colleagues, and community. The following is the first of two solutions inspired items brought for your consideration and support today. It's also my sincere hope that Committee chairs and agenda setting liaisons will consider these proposals s items for discussion. In keeping with TOMA compliance, colleagues your responses are welcome here.

Office of Food Resilience and Innovation

Why Now?
Austin and Travis County are at a critical crossroads in the health and sustainability of our local food system. Despite incredible community engagement and the recent release of the 2024 Austin-Travis County Food Plan, urgent gaps remain:
• Food insecurity affects 15% of Travis County residents—over 187,000 people—exceeding the national average.
• Only 0.06% of food consumed in Travis County is produced locally, leaving us vulnerable to supply chain disruptions and extreme weather events.
• Farmland is rapidly disappearing—13 acres lost per day between 2017 and 2022.
• Food service workers earn below a living wage, and nearly half report current or past food insecurity.
• 37% of Austin’s landfill material is organic waste, revealing an enormous opportunity for food recovery and climate action.
The Food Plan presents a clear community-driven roadmap—but execution requires sustained leadership, coordination, and staffing that currently does not exist within the City.
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Why This Matters
A dedicated City office focused on food resilience and innovation would:
• Implement the Food Plan’s 9 goals, translating vision into action across land access, livelihoods, emergency preparedness, equity, and sustainability.
• Support local food production and regenerative agriculture to rebuild our regional food economy.
• Advance food access and cultural relevance for communities disproportionately affected by food insecurity.
• Drive innovation in food recovery, waste reduction, and circular food economy practices.
• Coordinate cross-departmental strategies—aligning efforts across climate resilience, economic development, and public health.
• Position Austin as a national leader in equitable, climate-forward food systems.
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The Opportunity
Cities like Boston, Madison, and Detroit have successfully established food system offices or councils that work across silos to address these exact challenges. Austin can take the next bold step: transition from planning to implementation by investing in the Office of Food Resilience and Innovation—a staffed, strategic, and community-centered department within city government.
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The Solution—Introducing the Office of Food Resilience and Innovation
Mission: To create a resilient, just, and innovative food system that ensures equitable access to healthy, locally sourced food for all Austinites.
Scope of Work:
• Food Production: Increase urban agriculture and regenerative farming.
• Food Access: Expand equitable food distribution and nutrition programs.
• Food Recovery: Reduce waste and promote food recovery initiatives.
• Business Innovation: Incubate local food entrepreneurs and pilot new models.

Policy and Advocacy: Align policies with climate, health, and equity goals.
The proposed office will:
• Build on the existing work of the Food Policy Manager and community coalitions.
• Be staffed with experts in urban agriculture, food recovery, access and equity, policy, innovation, and community engagement.
• Serve as the implementation hub for the Food Plan’s goals—ensuring accountability, measuring progress, and catalyzing systemic change.
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Core Pillars of the Office
1. Urban Agriculture and Food Production
2. Food Access and Equity
3. Food Recovery and Waste Reduction
4. Innovation and Entrepreneurship
5. Policy and Advocacy
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Key Partnerships and Collaborations
Internal Partners:
• Office of Sustainability, Austin Public Health, Equity Office, Economic Development, Austin Resource Recovery
External Partners:
• Austin-Travis County Food Policy Board, local food banks, community-based organizations, and food entrepreneurs
Note: This framework also opens the door for public-private partnerships with industry leaders such as HEB, Whole Foods, US Foods, Sysco, and Austin Community College to advance shared goals.
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Anticipated Impact and Outcomes
1. Increased Local Food Production
2. Reduced Food Insecurity
3. Waste Reduction and Food Recovery
4. Economic Growth and Inclusion
5. Stronger Policy Alignment
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Implementation Timeline
Phase 1: Establish the Office (6–12 Months)
• Secure funding and hire core staff.
Phase 2: Launch Pilot Programs (12–24 Months)
• Implement early initiatives, establish partnerships, and refine strategies.
Phase 3: Scale and Evaluate Impact (24–36 Months)
• Expand programs citywide and track progress toward food resilience goals.
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Call to Action
We cannot afford to treat food as an afterthought in city planning. The community has spoken. The data is clear. The time is now to invest in the infrastructure required to create a food system that is just, resilient, and built to thrive for generations to come.
Establishing the Office of Food Resilience and Innovation is not only a response to the Food Plan—it is the essential next step in realizing its promise.
Here’s the Proposed Org Chart for the Office of Food Resilience and Innovation.

The Office of Food Resilience and Innovation will go beyond policy to focus on food production, distribution, recovery, and innovation.
As always, in the spirit of collaboration!
In peace,
NHM