Farm Bill Nutrition Forum

Oakland, CA

10/06/05

The California Association of Food Banks has four nutrition priorities for the 2007 reauthorization of the Farm Bill.

1. Food Stamps

Access:

• Invest in technology that increases participation, building on the successful EBT transition.
• Reduce complexity in the application process (for example, with more Combined Application Projects).

· Promote outreach efforts at the national, state and local level.

Eligibility:

• Allow families to participate without forfeiting the opportunity to save.

· Extend eligibility to all who need food, including single adults, documented immigrants, and people with prior convictions.

Adequacy:

· Base monthly benefits on an updated measure of what families need to buy healthy food all month long.

• Increase minimum benefits from $10 a month.

2. Emergency Food Assistance Program

• Increase funding for the storage and transportation of commodities to allow food banks to expand EFAP service.
• Expand the availability of bonus commodities to ensure a more nutritious and balanced package for recipients.
• Review and, if needed, improve nutritional value of processed and packaged commodities.

3. Farm to Food Bank

• Create a new initiative, similar to Farm to School, to provide fruits and vegetables to food banks and our clients and also benefit “specialty crop” farmers.

4. Food Stamp Nutrition Education

• Continue to support effective nutrition initiatives targeted at low-income consumers.

Kim McCoy Wade

California Association of Food Banks

kim@cafoodbanks.org 916-321-4435

CAFB is a membership association of 40 food banks serving 5000 charities and 2 million Californians each month.

Our mission is to build a well-nourished California.

www.cafoodbanks.org