CITY OF JACKSONVILLE LAUNCHES FIRST COMPREHENSIVE FOOD PLAN
The City of Jacksonville introduced its first-ever Jacksonville Food Plan yesterday, marking a major milestone in the city’s efforts to build a stronger, more equitable, and more sustainable food system. By supporting urban farming, strengthening distribution channels, addressing food deserts, and reducing waste, the city aims to create an equitable and sustainable food environment for all residents.
The announcement took place at Feeding Northeast Florida, where Mayor Donna Deegan joined community partners, residents, and local growers to unveil a roadmap designed to improve access to nutritious and affordable food while supporting local agriculture and preparing the city for future challenges.
The Jacksonville Food Plan establishes a long-term framework centered on four major areas of the local food system: production, distribution, access, and recovery. It identifies 32 actions and 79 sub-actions aimed at strengthening the city’s capacity to cultivate and distribute food, reduce waste, support local growers, and ensure that all residents can reliably obtain healthy food.
The plan was developed collaboratively with local farmers, food access advocates, academic institutions, and organizations such as Feeding Northeast Florida, the UF/IFAS Duval Extension Office, and Blue Zones Project Jacksonville. City leaders emphasized that the plan is not a short-term program, but a coordinated, multi-year strategy developed to guide public agencies, nonprofits, businesses, and neighborhood partners as Jacksonville continues to grow.
Mayor Deegan emphasized that nearly one in seven Jacksonville residents and one in five children are experiencing food insecurity, underscoring the urgency of the City’s efforts to improve these conditions.
“There are few things more consequential than understanding where our food comes from, how it gets here, whether it can reach the people who need it, and what happens when the system breaks down,” Deegan said.
Early implementation is already underway. A key component involves stronger support for urban agriculture. Legislation known as the Pathways to Urban Agriculture bill is currently progressing through the Jacksonville City Council and would modernize zoning codes to make it easier for community gardens, market gardens, and urban farms to grow and sell food within city limits.
Additional initiatives include an oyster-shell recycling pilot program that explores sustainable opportunities to reuse waste materials for environmental restoration.
The Jacksonville Food Plan represents the City’s commitment to building a safer, healthier, and more connected food system capable of supporting its rapidly growing population.
A full version of the plan, including downloadable formats, is available on the City of Jacksonville website at Jacksonville.gov/FoodPlan.