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07/08/09 - San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom today issued the first ever comprehensive food policy for San Francisco, and a sweeping action plan to make improvements to food that is available in the region. The plan, which Mayor Newsom issued through Executive Directive, aims to ensure that all regional residents have access to healthy food, and will have far reaching impact throughout Northern California by increasing support for area farms.
"The stark reality is that hunger, food insecurity, and poor nutrition are pressing health issues, even in a city as rich and vibrant as San Francisco," said Mayor Newsom. "From the alleviation of hunger, to the need to support local and sustainable agricultural practices, these recommendations form a comprehensive and strategic approach to addressing pressing needs in all sectors of the food system."
Mayor Newsom, joined at the announcement by California Food and Agriculture Secretary A.G. Kawamura and representatives of the United State Department of Agriculture, explained that the food policy calls for a range of actions to be completed in 180 days. These actions include a requirement that all departments conduct an audit of land under their jurisdiction to create an inventory of land suitable for gardening, the introduction of new health and sustainability requirements for food sold by vendors under city permits, a "healthy meetings policy" requiring the purchase of healthy, locally produced foods for city meetings, and within two months, the introduction of a new law requiring that food purchased by the city has been grown regionally and through sustainable methods.
Mayor Newsom also released the recommendations of a group of key urban and rural stakeholders called the San Francisco Urban-Rural Roundtable. In September of 2008, Mayor Newsom partnered with a food advocacy group called Roots of Change to invite a broad range of urban and rural representatives, including California Secretary of Agriculture AG Kawamura, to come together in an unprecedented urban and rural collaboration to advance a sustainable "food shed" plan for the city and region. The Roundtable participants were charged to develop a set of recommendations for programs, strategies and practical actions that San Francisco can implement to support regional agriculture and increase access to high quality food for all San Franciscans. Many of the Roundtable’s recommendations are integrated into the Mayor’s food policy.
Additional actions coming out of the Roundtable recommendations include a trade mission that connects regional food growers to local San Francisco restaurants and food purchasers to increase purchasing of regional food, and using philanthropic funds to augment the spending power of residents who use food stamps at local farmers markets.
Mayor Newsom made his announcement at the West Oakland Woods Urban Garden, run by City Slicker Farms. The mission of City Slicker Farms is to advance food security through the creation of organic, sustainable, high-yield urban farms and backyard gardens. Its flagship programs include transforming empty lots into productive market farms, educating the general public about how to grow food in their own yards, and providing accessible garden training opportunities. For more information on this organization, visit their website at www.cityslickerfarms.org.
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