2025 ACPP Public Policy Survey – Scope Details
For your information, the following provides a detailed scope of the policy priority topic areas presented in the survey.
Child Nutrition Programs
Scope: Child Nutrition Programs, authorized under the federal Child Nutrition Act, provide nutritious meals to children of all ages in a variety of setting. These programs include:
- Child and Adult Care Food Program CACFP
- National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program
- Universal School Meals policies encompass providing free breakfast and lunch to all students, regardless of household income, to ensure equitable access to nutritious food
- Summer Food Service Program
- Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC)
- and more.
Applicable Federal Policies: Child Nutrition Act
Consumer Education, Marketing, and Safety
Scope: Specific foci under this topic may include front-of-package labeling, food marketing, ultra processed food policies, food safety laws (including regulations related to raw milk), soda taxes, and related staffing at and investments by federal and state agencies.
Applicable Federal Policies: FDA Regulations including Food Labeling Modernization Act of 2023, FTC
Emergency Food System
Scope: Food banks, food pantries and soup kitchens make up the Emergency Food System. Their localized work often benefits from The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) that provides USDA commodity foods to supplement the diets of low-income people with 100% American grown USDA foods distributed through food banks and other designated organizations.
Applicable Federal Policies: Farm Bill
(Strengthening) Federal Funding for Nutrition Research
Scope: Strengthening federal funding in nutrition research supports interdisciplinary studies on food security, health disparities, and sustainable food systems that would aim to inform evidence-based interventions in preventative nutrition, behavioral science, and culturally relevant diets. Included here is EFNEP and funding for land-grant universities’ nutrition work as well as the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and My Plate.
Applicable Federal Policies: Farm Bill; DGA
Food Justice and Food Sovereignty
Scope: Food Justice refers to the belief that healthy, culturally relevant food is a basic human right and that structural barriers—such as poverty, social injustice, etc. and inequitable labor practices at the root of food system inequities—must be addressed. Food Sovereignty emphasizes the right of communities to control their own food systems, prioritizing ecologically sustainable methods, culturally appropriate food production, and fostering self-determination and resilience. Both concepts emphasize mutual empowerment of local food producers and consumers.
Applicable Federal Policies Farm Bill
Food Is Medicine
Scope: Used here synonymously with Food as Medicine, this often but not exclusively healthcare-centric movement recognizes nutrition as a fundamental component of disease prevention, management, and overall well-being. This may include nutrition incentive programs and fruit and vegetable prescription programs, medically tailored meals or groceries, and referrals to (and reimbursement for) nutrition experts, among other approaches. Nutrition educators, including dietitians, are seen as critical partners in this work to support behavior change and optimization of dietary choices.
Applicable Federal Policies USDA NIFA (GusNIP); Farm Bill, Medicare
Food System Sustainability
Scope: A sustainable food system (SFS) delivers food security and nutrition for all in such a way that is profitable for all workers, is socially just, and has a positive or neutral impact on the natural environment. Several issues are relevant to SFSs, including the following:
Food Waste
Scope: Policy discussions focus on reducing waste through legislation, such as liability protections for food donations, tax incentives, and standardizing date labeling to minimize confusion. Environmental concerns highlight the role of food waste in methane emissions from landfills, prompting efforts to expand composting, food recovery programs, and waste-to-energy initiatives. Socially, food waste intersects with food insecurity, leading to initiatives that redirect surplus food to those in need while balancing safety, logistics, and cost considerations.
Conference of Parties (COP) 30 scheduled for November 2025 in Belém, Brazil. This Conference of the Parties focuses on climate change.
Applicable Federal Policies: Farm Bill, EPA
International Food Aid
Scope: Provides international food assistance to food-insecure countries—in both emergency food assistance to avert humanitarian crises and in development assistance to support agriculture and related sectors.
Applicable Federal Policies Farm Bill
Older Americans Act Nutrition Programs
Scope: Federally supported meals for seniors include Congregate Meals offered at senior centers and other community sites as well as Home Delivered Meals for homebound elderly.
Applicable Federal Policies: Older Americans Act
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
Scope: SNAP provides food benefits to low-income families to supplement their grocery budget so they can afford the nutritious food essential to health and well-being.
Applicable Federal Policies: Farm Bill