GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2011

S                                                                                                                                                    2

SENATE BILL 491

House Committee Substitute Favorable 6/13/12

 

Short Title:        Continue Local Food Advisory Council.

(Public)

Sponsors:

 

Referred to:

 

April 4, 2011

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT to Extend the sunset on the law establishing the North Carolina Sustainable local food advisory council.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  Section 4 of S.L. 2009‑530 reads as rewritten:

"SECTION 4. This act is effective when it becomes law and shall expire on July 31, 2012.2015."

SECTION 2.  G.S. 106‑831 reads as rewritten:

"§ 106‑831.  (For expiration date, see note) The North Carolina Sustainable  Local Food Advisory Council; creation; membership; terms.

(a)        Council Established; Membership. – The North Carolina Sustainable  Local Food Advisory Council is hereby created within the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The Council shall consist of 27 members as follows:

(1)        The Commissioner of Agriculture or the Commissioner's designee, ex officio.

(2)        The State Health Director or the State Health Director's designee, ex officio.

(3)        The Secretary of Commerce or the Secretary's designee, ex officio.

(4)        Two local organic food producers, one of which is an organic animal producer and one of which is an organic crop producer, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

(5)        Two local conventional food producers, one  of which is an animal producer and one of which is a crop producer, to be appointed by the Commissioner of Agriculture.

(6)        Two local sustainable food producers, one of which is an animal producer and one of which is a crop producer, to be appointed by the Commissioner of Agriculture.

(7)        One representative of the commercial fishing industry, to be appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate.

(8)        One representative of the NC State Grange, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

(9)        One representative of the North Carolina Farm Bureau Federation, Inc., to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

(10)      One representative of the Sea Grant College Program at The University of North Carolina, to be appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate.

(11)      One representative of the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, to be appointed by the Governor.

(12)      One representative of the Center for Environmental Farming Systems, a partnership among North Carolina State University, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, and the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, to be appointed by the Governor.

(13)      One representative of the North Carolina Association of Black Lawyers' Land Loss Prevention Project, Inc., to be appointed by the Commissioner of Agriculture.

(14)      One representative of the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project, to be appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate.

(15)      One representative of the Center for Community Action, Inc., to be appointed by the Commissioner of Agriculture.

(16)      One representative of the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners, to be appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate.

(17)      One representative of the Department of Public Instruction, Child Nutrition Services Section, to be appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate.

(18)      One representative of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, jointly administered by North Carolina State University and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, to be appointed by the Governor.

(19)      One representative of the Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, to be appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate.

(20)      One representative of a food bank located in North Carolina, to be appointed by the Governor.

(21)      One representative of the food retail or food service industry, to be appointed by the Governor.

(22)      One representative of the North Carolina Farm Transition Network, Inc.,Conservation Trust for North Carolina, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

(23)      One representative of the North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center, Inc., to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

(24)      One representative of a business engaged in the processing, packaging, or distribution of food, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, in consultation with the NC Agribusiness Council.

…."

SECTION 3.  G.S. 106‑832 reads as rewritten:

"§ 106‑832.  (For expiration date, see note) The North Carolina Sustainable Local Food Advisory Council; duties.

In developing sustainable local food programs and policies for North Carolina, the Council may consider any of the following programmatic and policy issues:

(1)        An in‑depth assessment of the foods that are served to public school students under the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program, including the possibility of increasing the amount of sustainable local food used in these programs.

(2)        An in‑depth analysis of the possibility of making sustainable local food available under public assistance programs, including the possibility of being able to use food stamps at local farmers markets.

(3)        An in‑depth analysis of the possibility of promoting urban gardens and backyard gardens for the purpose of improving the health of citizens, making use of idle urban property, and lowering food costs for North Carolina urban dwellers during times of economic hardship.

(4)        An in‑depth analysis of the potential impacts that the production of sustainable local food would have on economic development in North Carolina, both the direct impacts for the producers of sustainable  local food and the actual and potential indirect impacts, such as encouraging restaurants that feature locally raised agricultural products and promoting food and wine tourism.

(5)        Issues regarding how local and regional efforts could promote a sustainable local food economy by providing an information and engagement center that would assist entrepreneurs and farmers in working around any current barriers and in pursuing opportunities related to a sustainable local food economy.

(6)        Issues regarding the identification and development of solutions to regulatory and policy barriers to developing a strong sustainable local food economy.

(7)        Issues regarding strengthening local infrastructure and entrepreneurial efforts related to a sustainable local food economy.

(8)        Any other program and policy issues the Council considers pertinent."

SECTION 4.  This act is effective when it becomes law.