UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The governor’s office recently named Martin Bucknavage to represent Penn State Extension on the advisory committee of the new Pennsylvania Food Policy Council. Bucknavage is a senior food safety extension associate in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences and team lead for industrial food safety and quality.
In December, Gov. Tom Wolf signed an executive order creating the Pennsylvania Food Policy Council.
“Food is a basic human right that has the power to change lives,” Wolf said in a state news release. “This Food Policy Council will work for the people of Pennsylvania to improve their everyday lives and our collective future. It is our responsibility and our duty to take hunger off the table.”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service found that 10.2% of Pennsylvania households were food insecure in 2021, and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection estimates that more than 2.7 million tons of food waste are produced in Pennsylvania annually.
The council will evaluate issues facing Pennsylvania’s food system and develop strategies to improve food security and nutrition while reducing food waste. The nine-person council will include a director along with the secretaries of the departments of Aging, Agriculture, Education, Environmental Protection, Health, Human Services, and Labor and Industry.
The advisory committee will assist the council and consist of 16 members appointed by the governor. Members will represent regional food policy councils, a food retailer or manufacturer, agricultural organizations, charitable food organizations, a farmer with the Pennsylvania Agricultural Surplus System, a health or nutrition organization, a school nutrition expert, and a representative of USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service, among others.
“Penn State Extension is an important partner in the governor’s Food Policy Council advisory committee for being that source for unbiased, science-based information,” Bucknavage said.
“With close to two decades of experience in the food industry and now with over 15 years at Penn State Extension, where I have provided training and technical support to all sectors along the food supply chain, I look to be an integral resource in the state’s effort to evaluate issues involving food security and waste and develop meaningful solutions,” he added. “More importantly, I am a conduit of access for this group into the vast capabilities provided by Penn State Extension.”