Center for Policy Research
Policy Brief
Why Are Food System Workers Excluded from Local Food Policy Councils?
Frank Sarfo, Laura-Anne Minkoff-Zern and Jonnell A Robinson
August 2025
One in seven workers in the United States is employed in food labor jobs, yet these jobs are among the lowest paid and least regulated in the country. Food Policy Councils (FPCs) have emerged to expand the benefits of food systems, but few FPCs have prioritized food system labor concerns. This brief summarizes findings from a study that examined the challenges and barriers that have limited FPCs’ engagement with labor issues. The authors find that internal tensions, limited capacity, and weak ties to labor groups hinder FPC engagement in food labor advocacy.
CPR Policy Briefs present concise summaries of findings from recent research conducted by CPR affiliates in the areas of crime and the law, economic wellbeing and poverty, education, energy and the environment, families, health, public finance, social welfare, urban and regional economics, and other policy-relevant domains.
Related News
Commentary
Dec 3, 2025
Commentary
Dec 2, 2025
