California Legislature—2013–14 Regular Session

Assembly BillNo. 2413


Introduced by Assembly Member John A. Pérez

February 21, 2014


An act to add Chapter 12 (commencing with Section 49000) to Division 17 of the Food and Agricultural Code, relating to food and agriculture, and making an appropriation therefor.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 2413, as introduced, John A. Pérez. The Office of Farm to Fork.

Existing law establishes the Department of Food and Agriculture, which is tasked with, among other things, promoting and protecting the agricultural industry of the state, and seeking to enhance, protect, and perpetuate the ability of the private sector to produce food and fiber in a way that benefits the general welfare and economy of the state. Existing law also establishes the California Healthy Food Financing Initiative for the purpose of promoting healthy food access in the state.

This bill would create the Office of Farm to Fork within the department to, among other things, work with various entities, including, among others, the agricultural industry and other organizations involved in promoting food access, to increase the amount of agricultural products available to underserved communities and schools in the state. The bill would require the office to, among other things, identify urban and rural communities that lack access to healthy food, and to coordinate with local, state, and federal agencies to promote and increase awareness of programs that promote greater food access. The bill would create the Farm to Fork Account in the Department of Food and Agriculture Fund that would consist of money made available from federal, state, industry, and other sources, and would continuously appropriate the money deposited in the account without regard to fiscal years to carry out the purposes of the Office of Farm to Fork. By creating a continuously appropriated fund, the bill would make an appropriation.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: yes. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

P2    1

SECTION 1.  

Chapter 12 (commencing with Section 49000)
2is added to Division 17 of the Food and Agricultural Code, to read:

3 

4Chapter  12. Office of Farm to Fork
5

 

6

49000.  

The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

7(a) There are many Californians who lack adequate access to
8healthy food.

9(b) The lack of access to healthy food falls disproportionately
10on disadvantaged urban and rural communities.

11(c) These same communities also suffer from an increased rate
12of obesity, diabetes, and other chronic health conditions related to
13poor diet.

14(d) Facilitating access to healthy food in these communities is
15needed to address the gaps in the food distribution system and help
16mitigate the health consequences of this inadequacy.

17(e) There are many county, state, federal, and private
18organizations attempting to address this issue, but there is no
19state-level body charged with coordinating these activities.

20(f) A state-level office, charged with coordinating and
21facilitating food access, can increase the effectiveness of ongoing
22programs and ensure that efforts and funding are not duplicated.

23(g) The Department of Food and Agriculture is uniquely situated
24to administer this office because of the department’s knowledge
25of the agricultural industry, and its ability to bring farmers together
26with hunger relief organizations, partner agencies, schools,
27colleges, community organizations, and others to increase the
28availability of healthy food.

29

49001.  

There is hereby created in the department the Office of
30Farm to Fork. This office shall work with the agricultural industry,
31direct marketing organizations, food policy councils, public health
32groups, nonprofit and philanthropic organizations, academic
P3    1institutions, district agricultural associations, county, state, and
2federal agencies, and other organizations involved in promoting
3food access to increase the amount of agricultural products
4available to underserved communities and schools in this state.
5The office, under the auspices of the department, shall do all of
6the following:

7(a) Work with regional and statewide stakeholders to identify
8urban and rural communities that lack access to healthy food,
9determine current barriers to food access, and share information
10to encourage best practices.

11(b) Coordinate with other local, state, and federal agencies to
12promote and increase awareness of programs that promote greater
13food access.

14(c) Promote greater retail sale of healthy food in underserved
15communities, including promoting the acceptance of California
16Special Supplemental Nutritional Program for Women, Infants,
17and Children (WIC) and CalFresh benefits at certified farmers’
18markets, encouraging the development and sustainability of local
19policies that support urban agriculture, increasing the number and
20quality of food retail outlets in inner city and rural communities,
21and maximizing resources in the interest of increasing food access.

22(d) Foster partnerships between community partners, including
23farmers, businesses, and nonprofit and philanthropic organizations.

24(e) Identify distribution barriers that affect limited food access,
25including, but not limited to, shortage of food retail outlets, limited
26store capacity, high distribution costs, and lack of capital funding
27opportunities, and work to overcome those barriers through the
28following:

29(1) Encouraging food hubs or other aggregation systems.

30(2) Coordinating institutional food procurement and buying
31practices.

32(3) Increasing access to information, technical assistance, and
33resources, including developing opportunities through the
34California Healthy Food Financing Initiative (Article 3
35(commencing with Section 104660) of Chapter 2 of Part 3 of
36Division 103 of the Health and Safety Code) in the office of the
37Treasurer.

38(f) Identify opportunities and provide technical assistance for
39collaboration between farmers, regional and local food banks,
40partner agencies, and nonprofit charitable organizations in the
P4    1gleaning, collection, and distribution of agricultural products for
2the purposes of reducing hunger and increasing access to healthy
3foods.

4(g) Identify informational resources and organizations to provide
5technical assistance on small scale and backyard farming,
6community gardens, and other agricultural products for residents
7of underserved communities.

8(h) Identify opportunities for collaboration with community
9organizations, social services, and partner agencies to provide
10cooking and nutrition education classes to residents of underserved
11communities.

12(i) Coordinate with school districts and representatives to do
13the following:

14(1) Provide tools to facilitate relationships between local
15producers and school food procurement personnel, and encourage
16opportunities to incorporate best purchasing practices such as Good
17Agricultural Practices (GAP) certification and insurance.

18(2) Increase the nutritional profile of foods provided in schools.

19(3) Increase access to nutrition education programs and
20information in schools.

21

49002.  

(a) There is hereby created the Farm to Fork Account
22in the Department of Food and Agriculture Fund that shall consist
23of money made available from federal, state, industry,
24philanthropic, and private sources.

25(b) Notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code,
26all money deposited in the Farm to Fork Account is hereby
27continuously appropriated to the department without regard to
28fiscal years to carry out the purposes of this chapter.



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