Please see the information below from the Washington Sustainable Food & Farming Network on the exciting developments on a possible Washington Food Policy Council.
Also, click here to check out a blog post that discusses the need for a Washington Food Policy Council.
The Case for a Washington Food Policy Council
As we alerted you last week, Senate Bill 6343, which would create a Washington Food Policy Council, is scheduled for a hearing this Thursday Jan 21st at 3:30 pm. If your organization is interested in submitting an endorsement letter, please contact Ellen Gray at the email address below ASAP.
Over 6.6 million people live in Washington State and every day each of us depends on a complex food system of farmers, processors, distributors and retailers to bring us the food we eat.
What is a Food Policy Council and why do we need one? Our food system in Washington State is not working well and we need to do better. We lose 70,000 acres of farmland every year, the average age of our farmer is 57, our kids are sick from diet related illnesses, and many families go hungry. For decades these failings were seen as isolated problems to be dealt with by an wide array of state and local agencies. Food Policy Councils began as a way to address the food system as a whole. These councils work across the many sectors of food to provide platforms for change. Please read the information below to better understand why we worked hard to craft and promote this legislation.
What is wrong with our food system?
- The laws affecting food, farms and agriculture are implemented by multiple federal, state and local agencies creating a complex web of regulatory hurdles for large and small farms alike;
- Harnessing the emerging market for regional food will create jobs in state and generate tax revenue , but it requires greater coordination and efficiencies among diverse sectors than what we have today;
- Key facts to remember:
o Our farms are diminishing: Washington State loses 70,000 acres of farmland every year, an area larger than Lake Washington;
o Our farmers are retiring: the average age of our farmer is 57;
o Our food security needs improving: Washington has 288,000 food insecure households and is ranked 28th in the nation for very low food security with 112,000 households experiencing hunger, a 24% increase from 2008;
o Our citizens are unhealthy: Sixty-one percent of Washington adults are either obese or overweight. Many of Washington’s residents lack access to nutritious affordable food which contributes to high rates of obesity.
o Our government is forced to subsidize this unhealthy behavior: Washington spends approximately $2 billion dollars annually on obesity-related, preventable illnesses and premature deaths;
Why do we need a Food Policy Council? Our food system in Washington State is not working well and we need to do better. Food Policy Councils (FPCs) are being established at local & state levels throughout the country to address the food system challenges. Working across the different sectors of our food system, FPCs coordinate action among the many stakeholders that can expand production, consumption and access to Washington grown foods. Multiple benefits can ensue, including job creation, keeping food dollars and tax revenue in-state, and improved health based upon improved access to healthy food. A FPC would also position Washington State to take advantage of new federal dollars that support improved nutrition and food system integration.
What would a Washington Food Policy Council look like? Senate Bill 6343 identifies representatives from 17 different sectors of our food system to work together to advance the following six food system goals:
- to increase production, sales, and consumption of Washington grown foods;
- to develop and promote programs that bring healthy, Washington grown food to residents by increasing state purchasing of local food products for schools and public institutions;
- to reduce food insecurity and hunger in the state and ensure that the benefits of a healthy Washington food system are shared with families at all income levels, and particularly with vulnerable children, the elderly, people with disabilities and communities of color;
- to develop and promote programs that support healthy nutrition and avoid burdens of obesity and other diet-related diseases;
- to protect the land and water resources needed for sustained local food production;
- to recruit and retain farmers and ensure an adequate agricultural workforce.
For more information or to have your organization endorse Senate Bill 6343, please contact:
Ellen Gray
Executive Director
Washington Sustainable Food & Farming Network
PO Box 762, Mount Vernon WA. 98273-0762
Phone: (360) 336-9694 Fax: (360) 336-1579
[email protected] www.wsffn.org
