Colorado Gov. Jared Polis has named the members of the newly seated Colorado Food Systems Advisory Council (COFSAC), whose mission is to advance recommendations that strengthen healthy food access for all Coloradans through Colorado agriculture and local food systems and economies. Under the recently enacted Colorado House Bill-1202, Colorado State University will provide staffing and support for the Council.
In his role with CSU’s Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Blake Angelo will staff and coordinate COFSAC beginning Dec. 1. Prior to this role, Angelo helped lead the development of the Denver Food Plan in partnership with the Denver Sustainable Food Policy Council and guided strategic projects for CSU’s Office of Community and Economic Development, CSU Extension, Kaiser Permanente, and dozens of consulting clients in the food, agriculture and public health industries.
Strengthening healthy food access
The focus of his and the Council’s work will include several issues highlighted in the Colorado Blueprint for Food and Agriculture that CSU developed in partnership with COFSAC, LiveWell Colorado, the Colorado Department of Agriculture, the Colorado Food Policy Network and other key state partners, including:
• Connecting Colorado agricultural producers to federal food assistance programs by functioning as an interagency liaison between relevant state and federal agencies.
• Leveraging the purchasing power of the state’s institutions to create new and reliable markets for Colorado agricultural products and support the growth of robust and resilient food systems while providing fresh, affordable, and healthy foods to vulnerable populations.
• Supporting the implementation of the recommendations in the Colorado Blueprint of Food and Agriculture project, ensuring that the recommendations in the Blueprint, or its successor project, are updated as needed
• Ensuring alignment with other state or local food plans if relevant.
Food Systems Advisory Council
The council advances recommendations that strengthen healthy food access for all Coloradans through Colorado agriculture and local food systems and economies. It is the state conduit for hearing, reviewing and advancing critical food systems issues in which state government does or could play a role. Visit the COFSAC website for more information, and to view a recent initiative of the Council, visit the website for the Colorado Blueprint for Food and Agriculture.
