FEINGOLD WORKS TO PRESERVE ACCESS TO LOCALLY GROWN,
HEALTHY FOOD
Urges Farm Bill Conference Committee to Strengthen Regional Food
Systems
March 3, 2008
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Russ Feingold is continuing his
effort to help ensure communities have access to locally grown foods.
Feingold is urging members of the House and Senate conferring on a final
Farm Bill to include provisions that support community access to healthy,
affordable foods and programs that connect schools, institutions, and
underserved communities with local farms. In a letter to the conferees,
Feingold outlined his support for programs that were similar to provisions
in the Rural Opportunities Act, which Feingold introduced in 2007. Senators
Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), John Kerry (D-MA), Bernie
Sanders (I-VT), Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), Jack
Reed (D-RI), Hillary Clinton (D-NY), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Joe Lieberman
(I-CT) also signed the letter.
“The federal government has an important role to play in supporting
America’s farmers and rural areas, which contribute so much to
our economy and strength as a nation,” Feingold said. “With
hunger and childhood obesity on the rise, we should take steps to provide
our schools and our communities with healthy food options. By helping
local farmers supply food to their communities, we’re getting
healthier foods to those who need it while supporting the local economy.”
Feingold was pleased that some provisions in line with his Rural Opportunities
Act were included in both the House and Senate versions of the Farm
Bill to support valuable new markets for farmers while at the same time
increasing access to healthy foods in schools and communities. In the
letter, Feingold and his colleagues urged the Farm Bill conference committee
to include a number of these provisions in the final Farm Bill, including
school-specific provisions that would clarify procurement rules to allow
local farmers to supply school cafeterias with locally produced products.
They also called on the committee to support other ways to benefit both
food producers and underserved communities through encouraging farmers
markets, community food projects, urban agriculture and local food infrastructure.
Finally, the senators called for the inclusion of a study on the impact
of local food systems on commerce.
A copy of the letter can be viewed here.
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