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(Santa Fe, New Mexico September 3, 2009) The City of Santa Fe and Santa Fe County have demonstrated their commitment to ensuring access to nutritious food for all citizens by developing the Santa Fe City and County Advisory Council on Food Policy (Food Policy Council).  The City Council and the Board of County Commissioners approved a joint resolution to establish the Food Policy Council, and appointed two people each from city and county government and nine people from the private sector to carry out the duties and responsibilities of the Food Policy Council.

The purpose of the Food Policy Council is to integrate all departments of the City and County as well as nonprofit organizations and food and farming businesses in a common effort to improve the availability of safe and nutritious food at reasonable prices for all residents, particularly those in need.  Its mission is to create and maintain a regional food system that nourishes all people in a just and sustainable manner.

People appointed include:
•    Steve Shepherd, Director of Health and Human Services, Santa Fe County
•    Katherine Mortimer, Supervising Planner, City of Santa Fe
•    Terrie Rodriguez, Community Services Department Director, City of Santa Fe
•    Sherry Hooper, Executive Director, The Food Depot
•    Pamela Roy, Executive Director, Farm to Table
•    Carol Rose, Food and Nutrition Education, NM Department of Health
•    Julie Anna Lopez, Curator of Agriculture, Las Golondrinas
•    Tony McCarty, Executive Director, Kitchen Angels
•    Mark Winne, Communications Director, Community Food Security Coalition
•    Steve Warshawer, Owner, Beneficial Farms
•    Sarah Noss, Executive Director, Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Institute

“Local food systems will become more and more critical as the challenges of climate change and peak oil increase.  The amount of farming in the region has been declining and water rights to farmable land have been transferred to urban areas just when the importance of local agriculture is becoming overwhelmingly evident.  The Food Policy Council will help local decision-makers understand this critical link and recommend policy aimed at reversing this dangerous trend,” said Katherine Mortimer, Chairperson.

The Food Policy Council encourages the involvement of Santa Fe citizens. Consider receiving updates by joining our mailing list. Simply email Jordan Maril at jordan@santafefoodpolicy.org with your name and contact information.  If you would like to support the work of the organization with a financial donation, you can make your tax-deductible contribution in care of Farm to Table at 618 B Paseo de Peralta, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501.

The Food Policy Council meets the 4th Thursday of each month at the Coll-Green Angel Depot, 1222 Siler Road in Santa Fe.  Please see the City of Santa Fe website for the meeting agenda one week prior to each meeting.  For more information on the Food Policy Council, go to www.santafefoodpolicy.org.

“The agricultural giant, Syngenta, has petitioned the U.S. Department of Agriculture to grant its new genetically modified corn a non-regulated status. This means that the company’s new seeds could be grown without management or geographic restrictions across the country. Some food experts, and farmers, fear that if this corn is grown without limits, it could end up in the food supply.”

To learn more and to hear the program in its entirety, please visit Living on Earth.

Every four to five years the programs contained in the Child Nutrition Act are subject to evaluation and must be re-authorized by Congress.  While the School Breakfast Program and the National School Lunch Program are permanently authorized, a bevy of other child nutrition programs that directly affect the health and wellbeing of children must be continually re-authorized. Given the nation’s burgeoning obesity and childhood diabetes levels, there is a demonstrated need for programs that both deliver high-quality food as well as enhance children’s educational experience with regard to healthy eating habits.  Re-authorization of the Act represents an opportunity to encourage and support comprehensive programs that focus on incorporating nutritious food, healthy habits, active lifestyles, and increased local purchasing.

What are the benefits of school meal programs?

School meal programs are a central way of addressing childhood nutrition in America.  More than 30 million children eat school food five days a week, 180 days a year, and many of the meals provided are to low-income children at a free or reduced price.  Herein lies a great opportunity to influence the patterns of how children eat.  In programs that partner schools with local farmers to provide healthier meal options, consumption of fruits and vegetables rose (+0.99 to +1.3 servings/day), knowledge and awareness of healthy eating and local foods increased, willingness to try new and healthier options improved, and consumption of unhealthy foods and sodas fell.

How does the Act effect local consumption?

Expanding healthy options by enhancing meals with locally grown food is beneficial to the children served, the farmers, and the local community.  Consumption of local produce has an array of positive outcomes, and the economic benefit to local growers is beneficial to the entire community.  The stability of providing food to local institutions permits growers to diversify, helps build positive relationships between growers and the community, and allows for the establishment of grower collaboratives to supply institutional markets.  The benefits are compounded by the increased stimulation of the local economy, through both higher income and increased tax revenue.

How to support the Act

Support of the Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act means supporting programs and policy imperatives that will help shift children’s eating habits in a more positive direction.  Passage of this Act with create congressional funding for local food and school garden grants, a farm to institution initiative within the Secretary of Agriculture’s Office, and increase school food procurement.  For more information, please visit www.onetray.org.

Time: Tuesday, July 21st, 6-9:30 pm.

Location: Jean Cocteau Cinema, 418 Montezuma Street

Screening to be followed by a panel discussion with:

Mark Winne, food policy activist
Nancy Ranney, Ranney Ranch
Rich Schnieders, former CEO, Sysco Foods

Admission includes screening, panel, and refreshments

$10 for Slow Food members, $15 for non-members

A portion of the evening’s proceeds will be donated to the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Institute.

RSVP to slowfoodsantafe@gmail.com so that we can save you a seat! This event is one night only and space will be limited.

In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation’s food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government’s regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation’s food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment.

It will be replaced with a Policy Objective/Priority at a suitable time.