IMPH & the SC Roadmap Release Food Policy Toolkit to Strengthen Food Systems and Improve Access to Nutritious Food Across the State

The South Carolina Institute of Medicine and Public Health (IMPH) and the SC Roadmap have released a new toolkit designed to help state leaders identify practical food system policy options that drive local economic development, support farmers and agribusinesses and improve health across the state. The toolkit, Helping Health Happen for All: A Roadmap for Food System Policy in South Carolina, is designed to provide an overview of evidence-informed policy opportunities across the food system, including food production, processing, distribution, consumption, and connections to healthcare. 

Food policy has been identified as a key strategy for addressing the nonmedical factors that influence health, including food security and access to healthy foods. South Carolina has one of the highest food insecurity rates in the nation, with 14.4% of households struggling to access enough food. Food insecurity is closely associated with elevated risks of chronic health conditions and has broader public health implications, including adverse pregnancy outcomes, poor nutrition, and overall population health differences. Limited access to affordable, healthy food increases the likelihood of poor diet quality.  

This new toolkit is designed to help decision-makers and community leaders identify practical policy solutions that strengthen the state’s food system and support healthier communities. It offers clear, evidence-informed policy opportunities across production, processing, distribution, consumption, and healthcare integration.  

The food system policy toolkit also highlights policy opportunities that can be adapted to local needs and implemented in the short term, often at little or no cost. 

Inside the toolkit, you’ll find: 

• Policy opportunities across the food system at the state, county, and municipal level.

• Strategies to support farming, improve food access, and strengthen local economies. 

• Food policy options related to healthcare integration.

• Examples and context to help inform local and state decision-making.

The food system policy toolkit was developed in alignment with the SC Roadmap initiative, which brings together partners across sectors to address nonmedical factors of health. The toolkit reflects IMPH’s commitment to providing nonpartisan, evidence-based resources that inform policy and support healthier South Carolina families. 

Read the full toolkit and share it with colleagues, partners and decision-makers working to improve food access and health outcomes across the state.