BILL NUMBER: ACR 161 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY AUGUST 8, 2012
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
Department of 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
25 percent of United States adults eat the recommended five
servings of fruits and vegetables daily; and
WHEREAS, Residents living in low-income and underserved rural
and urban 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 obtain
farm-grown products that make a shorter farm-to-table trip, purchase
directly from a family farm, obtain cultural and specialty fruits and
vegetables that are often not easily available elsewhere, and
strengthen the local economy while decreasing the demand on
transportation from outlying areas ; and
WHEREAS, Our food choices affect the environment: food
sold through direct marketing channels tends when food
items are sold in a more direct way, such as at farmers' markets,
food items tend 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 develop,
California 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, For more than 60 consecutive years, California has been
the number one agricultural state in the nation, producing more than
400 crops and livestock products and accounting for approximately 50
percent of the nation's supply of fruits, vegetables, and nuts; 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 A
broad approach to nutritional education is vital to ensure that
California agriculture continues to flourish ; 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 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.