To address the prevalence of food deserts and diet-related illness in the U.S. state of New York, and to promote sustainable, Local food, the New York State Food Policy Council was founded on May 20, 2007 by Governor Eliot Spitzer's Executive Order No. 13. [1] The council coordinates state agriculture policy and makes recommendations to the governor regarding policies that will ensure the availability of safe, fresh, nutritious, and affordable food for New Yorkers. While focusing on increasing access to healthy food options for low-income residents, seniors, and children, the council also works to promote New York agricultural products to New York consumers, with a special emphasis on expanding the consumer market for organic food. [2]
In addition to coordinating food policy, the council will develop a strategic plan to ensure access to affordable, fresh, healthy, nutritious food and expand agricultural production, especially locally grown and organically grown food. The sale of organic food is an emerging market, with more than $13 billion spent on organic food in 2005.
In January 2011, under Executive Order No. 2: Review, Continuation and Expiration of Prior Executive Orders, Gov. Cuomo approved the continuation of Spitzer's Executive Order No. 13: Establishing the New York State Council on Food Policy. [3]
The council includes 21 representatives from all areas of the food system, including the heads of the following six agencies: Agriculture, Health, Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, Aging, Economic Development, and the Consumer Protection Board. Other members are appointed by the governor and include the dean of the New York State College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; 1 farm organization representative; 1 school food administrator; 1 consumer representative; 2 food assistance organization representatives; 1 nutritionist; 1 anti-hunger advocate; and 3 representatives from the food industry at large. There will also be four appointed positions for members with experience and expertise related to agriculture, nutrition or food policy that will be recommended by the Temporary President of the Senate, the Speaker of the Assembly, the Minority Leader of the Senate, and the Minority Leader of the Assembly. With its members announced on September 19, 2007, they included
Given a need to gather input from New York citizens, the council has undertaken a "listening tour" in which members have engaged with New Yorkers through public hearings around the State. [1] Citizen input gathered through the tour will help the council formulate policy initiatives and can be found online.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an executive department of the United States federal government that aims to meet the needs of commercial farming and livestock food production, promotes agricultural trade and production, works to assure food safety, protects natural resources, fosters rural communities and works to end hunger in the United States and internationally. It is headed by the secretary of agriculture, who reports directly to the president of the United States and is a member of the president's Cabinet. The current secretary is Tom Vilsack, who has served since February 24, 2021.
Ann Margaret Veneman is an American attorney who served as the fifth executive director of UNICEF from 2005 to 2010. She previously served as the 27th United States secretary of agriculture from 2001 to 2005. Veneman served for the entire first term of President George W. Bush, and she left to take the UNICEF position. Appointed by the U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan on January 18, 2005, she took over the post on May 1, 2005. A lawyer, Veneman has practiced law in Washington, DC and California, including being a deputy public defender. She has also served in other high-level positions in both the state and the federal government of the United States, including being appointed secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, serving from 1995 to 1999, as well as United States deputy secretary of agriculture, serving from 1991 to 1993. Throughout her public career, Veneman was the first woman to serve in a number of positions, including secretary of agriculture, deputy secretary of agriculture, and California's secretary of food and agriculture. She was also just the second woman to lead UNICEF, following her predecessor, Carol Bellamy.
Organic certification is a certification process for producers of organic food and other organic agricultural products. In general, any business directly involved in food production can be certified, including seed suppliers, farmers, food processors, retailers and restaurants. A lesser known counterpart is certification for organic textiles that includes certification of textile products made from organically grown fibres.
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