Empowered Minds: Food Democracy

Dr. Jill Clark discusses her work in the area of food democracy, a movement that emphasizes public opportunities to actively participate in how food systems develop. Dr. Clark's research area is agrifood system policy and practice, centering on community and state governance of food systems, the policy process and community engagement. Primarily using a community-based research approach, she works with local communities across the United States. Current funded research focuses on opportunities for connecting food security and agricultural economic development through local policy initiatives, healthy food access, and policy to support the growth of small and mid-size farms engaged in the food system. Before joining the faculty, she directed the Center for Farmland Policy Innovation at Ohio State from 2006 until 2012. Before coming to Ohio State, she directed the Ohio office of American Farmland Trust, a national nonprofit. Clark earned a PhD in geography from Ohio State University.