Report outlines policy recommendations on food access, nutrition, governance and accountability
Philadelphia City Council President Kenyatta Johnson (2nd District) recently joined members of City Council’s Food and Nutrition Security Task Force to release recommendations aimed at improving food access, strengthening local food systems and addressing food insecurity across Philadelphia.
The report comes as recent reductions in federal nutrition support, including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit losses and cuts to nutrition education programs that have increased pressure on local food access systems.
Established through City Council Resolution #240125-A, introduced by Council President Johnson, the Task Force spent 17 months examining food insecurity challenges and developing recommendations for City Council and other stakeholders.
The effort brought together leaders from food access organizations, nutrition experts, healthcare professionals, urban agriculture stewards, philanthropic and community organizers. The Food and Nutrition Security Task Force was one of the first task forces created by Council President Johnson when he became president in January 2024.
The report concludes that Philadelphia needs a more coordinated approach to food and nutrition security and identifies the following three priorities:
- Establish a permanent coordinating structure
- Stabilize food access systems amid reductions in federal support, and
- Ensure residents with lived experience of food insecurity have a role in decision-making and implementation.
“Lack of access to healthy and nutritious food remains a challenge for hundreds of thousands of Philadelphia residents,” said Council President Kenyatta Johnson. “I am grateful to the members of the Task Force, and residents who contributed their time, expertise, and experience throughout this process. City Council looks forward to continuing work with stakeholders across the city to identify opportunities that support healthier, stronger communities.”
He continued, “I intend to introduce legislation this fall to establish a permanent Office of Food and Nutrition Security and will spend the summer working with the Parker Administration, Task Force members, and community stakeholders to develop the proposal.”
The Task Force was co-chaired by George Matysik, executive director of SHARE Food Program, and Mark Edwards, president and CEO of The Food Trust.
“This is a historic moment in the battle against hunger and inequality in our city. At a time when the affordability of nutritious food is falling further out of reach for America’s working class, I am proud to live in a city that is addressing both the root causes and the symptoms,” said George Matysik, Task Force Co-chair.
He continued, “It is with true grit and great care that this task force calls on each other and our partners to center community voices and lived experience, and recognizes that strong policy, smart funding, and public accountability will fuel a future of food security in our city. My deepest gratitude to everyone who is doing the work our residents rely on, including Council President Kenyatta Johnson, Task Force co-chair and Food Trust CEO Mark Edwards, Dwayne Wharton, founder of Just Strategies, Brett Nedelkoff, director of Policy & Strategic Initiatives, and each of our City’s remarkable Task Force members.”
Task Force Co-chair Mark Edwards also said: “For more than three decades, The Food Trust has seen firsthand that access, affordability, and education must work together to create lasting change. This report reflects that same understanding at a citywide scale. A permanent coordinating structure isn’t just good governance — it’s the backbone that will allow every organization, agency, and community leader to work more effectively toward the same goal: delicious, nutritious food for all Philadelphians.”
The report’s recommendations are organized into the following four areas:
- Governance and accountability
- Immediate stabilization and resident access
- Food production and economic systems
- Health, education, and human development
Among the recommendations is the creation of a permanent Food & Nutrition Security Coordination Office responsible for coordinating efforts across city agencies, healthcare systems, schools, community organizations, emergency food providers, philanthropy, and local food producers.
The report also calls for expanded SNAP and Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) enrollment support, community-led food access strategies in every Council district, implementation of Philadelphia’s Urban Agriculture Plan, investment in food infrastructure, procurement reforms, expanded nutrition education, and development of a coordinated Food as Medicine strategy.
The recommendations were informed by working group meetings, public testimony, community listening sessions, stakeholder interviews, and engagement with residents throughout 2025 and 2026. Strategic planning and facilitation support was provided by Dwayne Wharton and the Just Strategies team.
The full report will be used to inform future policy discussions, legislative proposals, funding priorities, and collaboration among stakeholders working to improve food and nutrition security in Philadelphia.
Food and Nutrition Security Task Force Members are as follows:
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Co-Chair George Matysik (SHARE Food Program)
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Co-Chair Mark Edwards (The Food Trust)
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Alex Baloga (Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association)
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Brigid Gorham (Gopuff)
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Don Hinkle-Brown (Reinvestment Fund)
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Eli Moraru and Alex Imbot (The Community Grocer)
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Evan Ehlers (Sharing Excess)
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Haile Johnston (The Common Market)
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Harry G. Hayman IV (Economy League of Greater Philadelphia)
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Jacob Zychick (American Heart Association)
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Jamal Wells (Mama Tee’s Community Grocer)
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Ken Yang (Penn Asian Senior Services)
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Kristin Romens and Rishaun Hall (The Pew Charitable Trusts)
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Loree Jones-Brown (Philabundance)
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Maddy Booth (Vetri Community Partnership)
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Marianne Fray and Sara Jann (Maternity Care Coalition)
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Mark Wainwright and Brian Williams (It Takes A Village To FEED One Child)
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Megha Kulshreshtha (Food Connection Group)
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Michael Banks (United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey)
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Mike Brubaker (Principled Strategies LLC)
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Najja R. Orr (Philadelphia Corporation for the Aging)
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Nicole Laverty (MANNA)
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Dr. Senbagam Virudachalam (Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia)
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Ty Holmberg and Chris Bolden-Newsome (Sankofa Community Farm)
Click here for a copy of the full report.
Philadelphians in need of food assistance can visit phila.gov/food to access the citywide meal finder.
