CALIFORNIA STATE BOARD OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE TO VISIT COMPTON TO DISCUSS FOOD ACCESS ISSUES

SACRAMENTO, July 25, 2014 – The California State Board of Food and Agriculture will discuss urban food access issues at its upcoming meeting on August 5th, 2014 in Southern California. The meeting will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Dollarhide Community Center, 301 N. Tamarind Avenue, Compton, CA 90220.

"Increasing the availability of healthy food products within local communities should not be a monumental challenge," said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. "Yet we have communities that face this barrier. The work of community leaders, non-profit organizations and retailers in addressing food access issues has been very impressive, but more must be done."

Nationally, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that approximately 23.5 million Americans live within a food desert and about half of those (13.5 million) are low income individuals.  A food desert is defined as an urban/rural community without ready access to fresh, healthy and affordable food. Typically these communities lack a supermarket or grocery store within a 1-to-10 mile radius. In California, almost two million individuals live in a designated food desert.

Invited speakers include: Mayor Aja Brown, City of Compton; Iris Hernandez, Blue Line Farmers' Market; Neelam Sharma, Community Services Unlimited; Dr. Michael Prelip, University of California, Los Angeles; Tiffany McDaniel, Community Health Council; Robert Egger, L.A. Kitchen; David Rosenstein, EVO Farms; Amanda Musilli, Whole Foods Market (via videoconference); Marion Standish, California Endowment; Jin Ju Wilder, Valley Produce; Alexa Delwich and Clare Fox, Los Angeles Food Policy Council; and Michael Flood, Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.

"In visiting Compton, the board will hear about some of the great efforts underway to improve food access in intercity communities," said Craig McNamara, president of the CA State Board of Food and Agriculture. "The state board is very interested in seeing how these approaches can be enhanced and expanded to other areas of the state."

The California State Board of Food and Agriculture advises the governor and the CDFA secretary on agricultural issues and consumer needs. The state board conducts forums that bring together local, state and federal government officials, agricultural representative and citizens to discuss current issues of concern to California agriculture.

Follow the board on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/Cafood_agboard
 

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