Advocacy Tools & Resources
We believe food policy and advocacy should be accessible to everyone.
Food Systems Collaborative (FSC) believes that in order to improve the food system in the U.S., there needs to be critical shifts at the policy level. Because of this, FSC works tirelessly to demystify and remove barriers to make advocacy easier—for nonprofit organizations, companies, and individuals alike. To help make this a reality, FSC builds campaigns to advocate for progressive food policies—and creates resources to encourage other organizations to do the same. FSC also hosts Congressional events to raise awareness and build momentum for specific policy opportunities.
FSC In Action!
Gen Z Food and Hunger Summit
In July 2024, FSC partnered with Shipt and the Congressional Hunger Center to host the second annual Gen Z Food and Hunger Summit. The event brought 50+ students from The Farmlink Project, Food Recovery Network, Bread for the World, the Bonner Foundation, and Swipe Out Hunger to Washington D.C., where they spent two days learning about two specific progressive food policies, then met with their members of Congress to advocate for them. The event resulted in 5+ additional co-sponsors.
Congressional Food Recovery Caucus
Food Systems Collaborative is currently working to raise awareness and increase membership of the House Congressional Food Recovery Caucus. Originally founded in 2018, the Caucus was relaunched in 2023 by Representatives Pingree and Newhouse to increase collaboration and advance legislation that supports food recovery for both donors and recipients.
In October 2024, FSC partnered with the Farmlink Project, Food Recovery Network, Patelana Group, and Shipt to host “Progress through Partnership: Bipartisan Solutions to Hunger and Food Waste,” an exclusive opportunity for legislative staff. The event—which was held in conjunction with the bipartisan Food Recovery Caucus chairs, Representatives Chellie Pingree (D-ME) and Dan Newhouse (R-WA)—was attended by 85+ staffers and featured speakers from City Harvest, the Global Cold Chain Alliance, National Restaurant Association, and USDA.
Federal Legislative Priorities
FSC is currently working to advance two pieces of legislation: The Food Date Labeling Act (S.1484 | H.R.3159) and The Opportunity to Address College Hunger Act (S.2881 | H.R.309).
FDLA
The Food Date Labeling Act (FDLA) is a bipartisan piece of legislation that would standardize food date labels in the U.S. This crucial legislation would mandate that any company opting to use food date labels has to use either "BEST If Used By" to indicate optimal freshness and quality or “USE By” to indicate the discard date. By clarifying when food is still safe to eat, we can save consumers money, and ensure that food unsold (but perfectly edible food) is able to be donated.
Want to join the effort?
Sign the petition here, then download FSC’s free social toolkit here and start spreading the word.
OACHA
The Opportunity to Address College Hunger Act (OACHA) is a no-cost bill that would make it easier for eligible college students to receive SNAP benefits—without changing their eligibility criteria. This bill aims to enhance SNAP outreach to eligible students without changing their eligibility criteria. If passed, it would require institutions of higher education receiving grants to notify students in the Federal Work Study program about their potential eligibility for SNAP benefits. It would also mandate colleges and universities provide specific state-based information and contact details for local SNAP offices.
Want to join the effort?
Sign the petition here!
Additional Advocacy Resources
Gen Z Food & Hunger Summit in Washington, D.C. (July 8-9, 2024)
LinkedIn Post: Impact of Gen Z Food & Hunger Summit
Contact Us.
Food Systems Collaborative can help you host a dynamic advocacy training and/or an impactful Hill Day. Contact us today to empower your team and amplify your voice for a better food system!