(Sacramento, CA) – The California State Assembly passed legislation authored by Assemblymember Phil Ting (D–San Francisco) that will help California receive federal funding from the 2014 farm bill to expand healthy food access for low-income Californians on food stamps shopping at farmers’ markets.
Assembly Bill (AB) 1321 passed with a 54-16 vote and passes to the State Senate for further review.
“Diet is the foundation for good health. We can expand access to our state’s bounty by enlisting farmers’ markets in the fight against hunger and malnutrition,” said Ting. “The timing of this legislation could not be more critical. The drought has pushed food prices upward, squeezing families still waiting for the economic recovery to benefit their bottom line.”
Ting’s bill was inspired by an innovative approach pioneered by over 150 farmers’ markets across California called Market Match. Market Match doubles the purchasing power of families receiving food stamps who shop at farmers’ markets as an incentive to buy healthy, local produce. The program has increased food stamp purchases at farmers’ markets up to 700 percent and 69% of farmers report having new and loyal customers through the program.
AB 1321 directs the Department to encourage the purchase and consumption of fresh California grown fruits, nuts, and vegetables through crafting a statewide application for the Food insecurity Nutrition Incentive (FINI) program, $100 million set aside in the 2014 federal farm bill to help food stamp recipients purchase fruits and vegetables.
In April, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the first found of FINI grants. The largest grant of $5.85 million went to the Washington State Department of Health, which coordinated a state effort targeting these funds. The fourth largest grant of $3.7 million went to the Berkeley-based Ecology Center, which administers the Market Match program.
“California should be getting more of these federal funds and we will do so if the state takes a leadership role,” added Ting. “We are naturally positioned to benefit from this program more than any other state.”
With over 400 commodities in production, California has unparalleled agricultural diversity. It also has the largest network of farmers’ markets of any state, comprised of over 700 markets. Over 11 million Californians live in poverty and 4 million struggle with food insecurity - or inadequate access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food. The state also ranks last in the nation in the rate of food stamp participation among eligible families.
Market Match was created as a pilot program, in 2009, with a $1.9 million grant from the California Department of Food and Agriculture and other philanthropic funds.
Here is what supporters are saying about AB 1321.
“We believe that California and the nation will be more healthy and resilient if we enhance food system infrastructures that make healthy food accessible and affordable. This bill contributes to the physical health of individuals, the economic health of small farms and rural communities. It is a win-win solution that cannot be missed.”
-Matthew Marsom, Vice President for Public Policy and Programs, Public Health Institute (bill sponsor)
“Limited resources for purchasing food has a dramatic impact on health and the risk of developing chronic diseases, like diabetes. This disproportionately impacts communities of color and is a critical factor in widening rational and ethnic disparities.”
-Justin Rausa, Policy Director, Roots of Change (bill sponsor)
“Ensuring that individuals and families have ready access to essential resources, such as nutritious food, helps households lead healthy, productive lives- and keep struggling Californians from falling further into poverty.”
-Alexis Fernandez, Director of Legislation, California Food Policy Advocates
“The California Food policy Council supports this legislation because we believe that access to nutritious, culturally appropriate food is a basic human right, and that the healthiest choice should be the easiest choice.”
-Christina Hall, Steering Committee, California Food Policy Council
“A 2013 evaluation of Market Match reported an average six-fold return, and serves a local economic development strategy for farming communities up and down the state. Participating growers have cited additional income from incentives as the reason for adding staff or acreage.”
-Ben Feldman, Chair, California Alliance of Farmers’ Markets
“Economic support for organic farmers is critical during these times of extreme drought and climate change because they conserve water, improve soil quality, sequester carbon, increase biodiversity, create pollinator habitats, and build drought resilience. Thus, we support AB 1321 because it offers economic support for organic farmers who work to improve California’s environmental health.”
-Kelly Damewood, Policy Director, California Certified Organic Farmers
“investment in these match programs will benefit California’s farmers selling these products while making nutritious food more accessible for California’s most economically disadvantaged residents.”
-Noelle Cremers, Director, Natural Resources and Commodities, California Farm Bureau Federation
“While California is now the world’s 7th largest economy, we still have the highest poverty rate nationally. Limited resources for purchasing food has a dramatic impact on health and increases the risk of developing preventable chronic diseases, like diabetes, with disproportionate impacts on communities of color in California.”
-Martin Bourque, Executive Director, Ecology Center
“We believe that a healthy lifestyle includes consuming a variety of fruits and vegetables daily as their increased consumption reduces the risk of high blood pressure, stroke and heart disease. Increased consumption of fruits and vegetables can play a role in reducing the $21 billion economic burden that obesity has on California’s healthcare system.”
-Kula Koenig, Government Relations Director, American Heart Association
“Good nutrition is an important part of cancer treatment and cancer prevention. AB 1321 will provide greater access to nutrition by awarding grants to certified farmers’ markets that double the amount of nutrition benefits available to low-income consumers. The grants will benefit disadvantaged communities by prioritizing communities with high prevalence of diabetes and obesity to ensure a focus on expanding access to fresh, healthy food.”
-Autumn Ogden, Director of State Legislation, Cancer Action Network
Further information about AB 40 is available at www.leginfo.ca.gov.
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