Office Of Farm To Fork - - CA Food And Agriculture Code

Section § 49000

This California law acknowledges that many residents do not have enough access to healthy food, particularly in disadvantaged urban and rural areas. These communities face higher rates of health issues like obesity and diabetes due to poor diets.

The law points out that while various organizations try to solve this problem, there is no dedicated state-level body for coordinating these efforts. Establishing such an office, especially within the Department of Food and Agriculture, could improve program effectiveness and prevent overlapping of resources.

The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

healthy food access disadvantaged communities obesity diabetes food distribution chronic health conditions state-level coordination Department of Food and Agriculture food access office rural communities urban communities hunger relief nonprofit coordination food availability agricultural partnerships

(Added by Stats. 2014, Ch. 583, Sec. 1. (AB 2413) Effective January 1, 2015.)

Section § 49001

The Office of Farm to Fork is established within the department to improve food access in underserved communities and schools. It collaborates with numerous organizations to identify areas lacking healthy food, understand barriers, and share best practices. The office promotes healthy food retail in needy areas, encourages the use of benefits like WIC and CalFresh at farmers’ markets, and supports urban agriculture.

It fosters partnerships between farmers, businesses, and nonprofits, identifies and works on overcoming distribution barriers, and coordinates procurement practices. Additional work includes collaborating on hunger reduction through food banks, providing education on farming and nutrition, and enhancing school meal programs and nutrition education.

There is hereby created in the department the Office of Farm to Fork. To the extent that resources are available, this office shall work with the agricultural industry, direct marketing organizations, food policy councils, public health groups, nonprofit and philanthropic organizations, academic institutions, district agricultural associations, county, state, and federal agencies, and other organizations involved in promoting food access to increase the amount of agricultural products available to underserved communities and schools in this state. The office, under the auspices of the department, shall do all of the following:

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

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

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

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

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

(1) Encouraging food hubs or other aggregation systems.

(2) Coordinating institutional food procurement and buying practices.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

food access underserved communities healthy food food policy nutrition education urban agriculture food retail WIC benefits CalFresh benefits farmers' markets food hubs partnerships food distribution gleaning school nutrition programs

(Added by Stats. 2014, Ch. 583, Sec. 1. (AB 2413) Effective January 1, 2015.)

Section § 49002

This law establishes the Farm to Fork Account within the Department of Food and Agriculture Fund. It is funded by various sources, such as federal and state governments, industries, and private groups. The money in this account is continuously available to the department, meaning it can be used without needing annual approval, to support the objectives of the relevant chapter.

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

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

Farm to Fork Account Department of Food and Agriculture continuous appropriation federal funding state funding private funding philanthropic funding industry funding agriculture fund fiscal years government code food and agriculture purposes

(Added by Stats. 2014, Ch. 583, Sec. 1. (AB 2413) Effective January 1, 2015.)