Durham County is preparing to assess its food system and create a 10-year plan to ensure food security.
Durham’s Board of County Commissioners approved a $159,547 contract Monday with Key Environmental Consulting, which will develop a food system assessment and strategic plan over 18 months. The goals for the strategic plan include ensuring access to affordable, safe, and nutritious food that meets dietary needs and food preferences; assessing the conditions and job opportunities for people working in Durham’s food industries; and using environmentally-friendly practices to protect waterways and wildlife.
Durham is slightly below the food insecurity average of 15 percent in North Carolina, with 13.8 percent of residents have limited or uncertain access to adequate food, according to 2023 data from Feeding America. However, food insecurity rates are much higher for children, as well as Black people and Latinos, in comparison with Durham’s average (18.3 percent for children, 26 percent for Black people, and 22 percent for Latinos)…