Food Policy Watch « Brooklyn Food Conference

Food Policy Watch

Northeast Organic Farming Association Interstate Council
NOFA Policy Report

Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer
Press Announcement February 7, 2009
Borough President Scott Stringer, Joined by Food Activists, Urges City to Create Regional “Foodshed” to Help Ensure Local Supply of Affordable and Healthy Food
Food in the Public Interest
How New York City’s Food Policy Holds the Key to Hunger, Health, Jobs and the Environment
FoodStat: Measuring the Retail Food Environment in NYC Neighborhoods

New York State

Updates from the Task Force on Food, Farm & Nutrition Policy
2009 Bills Before the NY State Legislature
S104 - SPONSOR: SENATOR SAMPSON, BROOKLYN
Dedicates community gardens in the state of New York as parkland; requires the appropriate community board in cities with a population of one million or more persons to approve plot’s withdrawal from the community garden program.

A500 - SPONSOR: ASSEMBLYMAN JEFFRIES, BROOKLYN
Provides for the labeling of food or food products that contain a genetically modified material or that are produced with a genetically modified material; defines terms; imposes penalties for false labels and misbranding; sets forth exemptions.

A590 - SPONSOR: ASSEMBLYWOMAN SAYWARD, SARATOGA, HAMILTON, WARREN, ESSEX
Provides for the sale, availability and distribution of healthy foods and beverages as part of a school lunch program; sets forth portion size and food requirements; requires nutritional information on all food items and beverages which are not prepackaged with such; provides for a ten cent reimbursement from the state per lunch sold; requires the commissioner to establish a procedure for engaging school wellness committees.

A1681 - SPONSOR: ASSEMBLYMAN WRIGHT, HARLEM
To eliminate the finger imaging matching identification system for applicants or recipients of food stamps who are not also applicants for, or recipients of, family or safety net assistance.

A1826 - SPONSOR: ASSEMBLYMAN WRIGHT, HARLEM
Provides that an applicant shall receive assistance within the next business day if they are determined to be eligible for the food stamp program.

A1867 - SPONSOR: ASSEMBLYWOMAN NOLAN, QUEENS
To establish the Farmworkers Fair Labor Practices Act, granting collective bargaining rights, workers` compensation and unemployment benefits, etc. to farmworkers.

A2281 - SPONSOR: ASSEMBLYMAN McENENY, ALBANY
This bill would require milk and milk products produced from cows injected with recombinant bovine somatotropin to bear a label identifying such fact in order to be sold in New York State.

A2373 - SPONSOR: ASSEMBLYMAN McENENY, ALBANY
To allow for an affirmative defense against any liability if the party can show that he or she did not knowingly and intentionally introduce genetically engineered or genetically modified organisms into his or her plants or seeds.

National Employment Law Project, 2008 Proposed Change to New York City Law
The Responsible Restaurant Act

National

A Good Food Manifesto for America
by Will Allen, Growing Power
A proposal for the creation of a public-private enabling institution called the Centers for Urban Agriculture.

Northeast Farm & Food Network
Farm Bill User Guide
“Use this online guide to learn about the Farm Bill and — more importantly — to help you shape its implementation and benefit from its programs!”

American Farmland Trust
Working to stop the loss of productive farmland and promote farming practices that lead to a healthy environment.
Federal Farm Policy and the Farm Bill: What’s in it for New York State?
9 for 09 Farm and Food Policy Recommendations for President Obama’s Administration

HR 875: Federal Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009
Considered by opponents to be “The Federal Take-Over of Food Regulation.” “HR 875 represents a tremendous expansion of federal power, particularly the power to regulate intrastate commerce. While the proposed legislation tries to address the many problems of the industrial food system, the impact on small farms if the bill becomes law would be substantial and not for the better. HR 875 is a major threat to sustainable farming and the local food movement.”
FactCheck.org
Would a new bill in Congress make my backyard organic garden illegal?

The Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act would:
* Phase out the non-therapeutic use in livestock of medically important antibiotics;
* Require this same tough standard of new applications for approval of animal antibiotics;
* Does not restrict use of antibiotics to treat sick animals or to treat pets and other animals not used for food.
Over 300 organizations representing health, consumer, agricultural, environmental, humane and other interests have supported enactment of legislation to phase out non-therapeutic use medically important antibiotics in farm animals.