BILL NUMBER: ACR 161	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Dickinson

                        JUNE 13, 2012

   Relative to food literacy awareness month.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   ACR 161, as introduced, 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, 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 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, 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.