Assemblyman José Rivera
Albany Office: Room 536 Legislative Office Building, Albany, NY 12248, (518) 455-5414
District Office: 2488 Grand Concourse, Room 416, Bronx, NY 10458, (718) 933-2204
news from
assemblyman
JOSÉ RIVERA
78th ASSEMBLY DISTRICT

For Immediate Release
Monday, December 3, 2007

For More Information Call:
Task Force on Food, Farm and Nutrition Policy
(518) 455-5203


Rivera Welcomes State Food Policy Council


(Albany) - Assemblyman José Rivera, (D-Bronx), the Chair of the Assembly Task Force on Food, Farm and Nutrition Policy, is pleased that the New York State Council on Food Policy, established through Executive Order by Governor Spitzer in May of this year, has begun its work.

The Council consists of agency commissioners and non-governmental appointees with expertise in nutrition, agriculture, labor, industry, education and other areas. The creation of such a Council had been a goal of the Assembly Task Force on Food, Farm and Nutrition Policy for over 20 years and the Task Force developed legislation, (A.4368) co-sponsored by Rivera, which the Governor's Executive Order closely follows. The Task Force participated in Governor Cuomo's similar Council in 1988.

According to Rivera, "Over the years the Task Force has developed legislation and budget initiatives that have laid the groundwork for food policy in our State. Direct marketing of farm products, school food and nutrition, funding for anti-hunger programs, obesity prevention, farm-to-school efforts, food safety, food allergies, and eating disorders treatment are issues for which the Task Force has sponsored laws and funding. Much of that work was a result of goals and objectives established by those involved in the original Food Policy Council. As we move forward with a new Council, it is important that we know where we came from."

To develop policy proposals the Task Force frequently used the recommendations from the Five-Year Plan developed under the old Food Policy Council. More recently, the Task Force sponsored a Public Hearing on New York State Food Policy seeking input on what goals and objectives a new Council might work towards. We hope these documents are useful to the members of the new Council, and to food policy advocates, as they work to develop comprehensive, coordinated policies with the goal of providing a plentiful, accessible, affordable, safe and nutritious food supply comprised of locally produced foods as much as possible.



BACK