“…In the mid-1990s, political scientist Kenneth Dahlberg (1994) succinctly characterized the relationship between local governments and food policy: "Food is not seen to be an issue for municipalities" (p. 1). Two decades later, the reality is dramatically different, driven by growing consumer interest in local food, movements for community food security and food justice, and the spread of systems thinking, which views food production and consumption as being inherently linked (Brinkley, 2013;Morgan, 2013;Siddiki, Carboni, Koski, & Sadiq, 2015;Sonnino, 2009). Supported by professional groups such as the American Planning Association (American Planning Association, 2007), local governments are increasingly engaged in food systems planning and policy, both within communities and across regions (Hodgson, 2012;Pothukuchi, 2009;Pothukuchi & Kaufman, 1999).…”