Bill Text: CA AB2090 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Office of Farm to Fork: food deserts: transportation.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-05-16 - In committee: Held under submission. [AB2090 Detail]
Download: California-2023-AB2090-Amended.html
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Amended
IN
Assembly
April 03, 2024 |
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Amended
IN
Assembly
March 11, 2024 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION
Assembly Bill
No. 2090
| Introduced by Assembly Member Irwin |
February 05, 2024 |
An act to amend Section 49001 of the Food and Agricultural Code, relating to food and agriculture.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 2090, as amended, Irwin.
Office of Farm to Fork: food deserts: transportation.
Existing law creates the Office of Farm to Fork within the Department of Food and Agriculture, and requires the office, to the extent that resources are available, to work with various entities to increase the amount of agricultural products available to underserved communities and schools in the state. Existing law requires the office, among other things, to identify distribution barriers that affect limited food access and work to overcome those barriers through various actions and to coordinate with school districts and representatives to, among other things, increase the nutritional profile of foods provided in schools.
This bill would require the office to also work with transportation agencies to increase the amount of agricultural products available to underserved communities and schools in the state, and to prioritize the
department’s efforts in food deserts, as defined, throughout the state, especially cities and counties that are most impacted by food insecurity, as defined. The bill would require the office to work to overcome those identified distribution barriers by also facilitating partnerships between statewide, regional, and local transportation agencies to address inadequate public transportation lines in urban and rural communities, with the aim of connecting all communities to adequate and nutritional food access, as provided. The bill would require the office to coordinate with school districts and representatives to assess access to school breakfast and lunch programs during scheduled academic calendar breaks and school closures.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NOBill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 49001 of the Food and Agricultural Code is amended to read:49001.
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, transportation agencies, 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, taking into consideration factors including, but not limited to, distance, income, transportation, food variety, pricing, population density, and demographics, determine current barriers to food access, and share information to encourage best practices.
(b) Prioritize the department’s efforts in food deserts throughout the state, especially cities and counties that are most impacted by food insecurity.
(c) Coordinate with other local, state, and federal agencies to promote and increase awareness of programs that promote greater food access.
(d) 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 and for e-commerce food delivery services, 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.
(e) Foster partnerships between community partners, including farmers, businesses, and nonprofit and philanthropic organizations.
(f) Identify
distribution barriers that affect limited food access, including, but not limited to, shortage of food retail outlets, limited store capacity, high distribution costs, transportation to grocery stores, 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.
(4) Facilitating partnerships between statewide, regional, and local transportation agencies to address inadequate public transportation lines in urban and rural communities, with the aim of connecting all communities to adequate and nutritional food access, including, but not limited to, grocery stores, restaurants, e-commerce food delivery services, community-supported agriculture, farmers’ markets, food hubs, and food banks, by doing both the following:
(A) Exploring the feasibility of public transportation, private industry rideshares, food delivery systems, e-scooters, e-bicycles, protected
sidewalks, and protected bicycle lanes to food networks in local communities.
(B) Collaborating with local governments to identify barriers to food access and assisting in the development of community-driven policy solutions.
(g) 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 in cities and counties affected by food deserts for the purposes of reducing hunger and increasing access to healthy foods.
(h) 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.
(i) Identify opportunities for collaboration with community organizations, social services, and partner agencies to provide cooking and nutrition education classes to residents of food deserts and underserved communities.
(j) 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.
(4) Assess access to school breakfast and lunch programs during scheduled academic calendar breaks and school closures.
(k) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:
(1) “Food desert” means an area with limited access to affordable and nutritious food, particularly an area composed of predominantly lower income neighborhoods and communities.
(2) “Food insecurity” means the occasional
or constant lack of access to the food one needs to live a healthy life and the uncertainty of being able to acquire enough food to meet the needs of an individual or household due to insufficient money or other resources.
