California Assembly Bill ACR161 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: ACR 161AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY AUGUST 6, 2012 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Dickinson JUNE 13, 2012 Relative to food literacy awareness month. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST ACR 161, as amended, Dickinson. Food literacy awareness month. This measure would proclaim the month of September of each year as food literacy awareness month and would encourage the  State  Department of  Health Care Services  Food and Agriculture  , the State Department of Public Health, and the State Department of Education to work together with local communities to engage in various activities related to food choices and education. Fiscal committee: yes. WHEREAS, "Food literacy" is defined as the understanding of the impact of your food choices on your health, the environment, and our community; and WHEREAS, Our food choices affect our health. In California, 38 percent of children are overweight. If the problem of obesity is not reversed, poor diet and physical inactivity will likely overtake tobacco as the leading cause of preventable death in America; and WHEREAS, Only 14 percent of Americans eat five servings of fruits and vegetables daily; and WHEREAS, Residents living in low-income and underserved neighborhoods without access to fresh, healthy foods, known as "food deserts," have more health problems and higher mortality  rates  than residents of areas with a higher proportion of grocery stores. Outcomes worsen when the food desert has high concentrations of nearby fast food alternatives; and WHEREAS, Food grown and consumed locally has a higher nutrient value than foods transported long distances; and WHEREAS, People who shop at farmers' markets come home with more fruits and vegetables than people who shop at the supermarket. Expansion of local food systems could ultimately help reduce health care costs from obesity and other health problems linked to a diet dominated by processed foods; and WHEREAS, Our food choices affect the environment: food sold through direct marketing channels tends to be relatively less processed, which can result in significant energy savings. Expansion of local and regional food systems can reduce the environmental cost of United States agriculture; and WHEREAS, The entire global food chain may account for one-third of what's heating our planet; and WHEREAS, Pesticide use in our food system has been proven both harmful to the environment and to human health. Organic produce contains higher levels of vitamins and nutrients than those sprayed with pesticides; and WHEREAS, If we all ate just one local meal a week we would save 1.1 million barrels of oil annually; and WHEREAS, Our food choices affect our community: as they grow, local and regional food systems create jobs and raise incomes in the areas they serve, keeping customers' food dollars active in the local economy as farmers increase spending on inputs and equipment to meet growing local demand; and WHEREAS, Education is needed to inspire change. Forty-two percent of parents find it easier to understand furniture assembly instructions than the contents of a nutrition label; and WHEREAS, When individuals are taught how to cook with fresh fruits and vegetables, they are 85 percent more likely to incorporate them into their diet. People who don't cook spend a larger percentage of their budget on food than those who do; and WHEREAS, The objective of food literacy awareness month will be to promote food education, inspire food choices that are good for people and good for the planet, encourage parental involvement, and motivate communitywide support; now, therefore be it Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby proclaims the month of September of each year as food literacy awareness month in California; and be it further Resolved, That the Legislature encourages the  State Department of Health Care Services     Department of Food and Agriculture  , the State Department of Public Health, and the State Department of Education to work together with local communities to do all of the following: (a) Increase awareness about the broad impacts our food choices have on our health, environment, and communities. (b) Educate our children about eating food that's healthy for them and for the planet. (c) Encourage consumption of more unprocessed foods through local, California-grown whole foods and improve access to local farmers' markets, farm stands, and gardens. (d) Teach families how to cook healthy, budget-friendly meals and snacks. (e) Support change in our public food choices that promote health as much as convenience. (f) Improve the environmental effects of our food system by encouraging composting, organics, waste reduction, and sustainability; and be it further Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.