Madison Mayor Paul Soglin was appointed to a national task force that will look to address food policy programs Thursday.

Soglin was selected to co-chair the Food Policy task force this year as part of the Children Health and Human Services Committee at the US Conference of Mayors, Madison Food and Alcohol Policy Coordinator Mark Woulf said.

In conjunction with Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, Soglin will work alongside other cities and organizations that have an interest in issues that affect food policy and create an agenda for the year.

“What it essentially does is work with cities, the USDA and other stakeholders in food policy,” Woulf said.

Woulf said the committee task force works to address issues such as providing guidelines for retailers on accepting food stamps and urging congress to take action on a farm bill that would address many national food policies.

The farm bill is especially key, Woulf said, depending on the actions of Congress. Woulf said Soglin would like to see the farm bill approved with a provision that would include the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Woulf said he thinks Soglin will use his leverage on several food policy issues that relate to Madison, including taking advantage of opportunities like promoting the farmers’ market corporations and encouraging vendors to offer healthy food.

Woulf said the bill currently being considered by the House does not have the provision for SNAP, or the Food Stamps Program, as it is commonly referred too.

Ald. Shiva Bidar-Sielaff, District 5, who serves on the Madison Food Policy Council, said in an email to The Badger Herald she would like to see several key local issues worked on, highlighting that all citizens should have access to healthy foods regardless of neighborhood, race, ethnicity, age and socioeconomic status.

“The issue of healthy food access and equity are the key food policy issues in my opinion,” Bidar-Sielaff said.