|
National
Hispanic Caucus of
State Legislators
Resolution on the
2007 Farm Bill
WHEREAS,
urban and rural
communities all
across America, will
be profoundly
affected by the
programs contained—or
omitted from—reauthorized
Farm Bill
legislation; and
WHEREAS,
it is important to
include full
participation and
equal treatment for
all states,
territories, and the
District of Columbia
and all programs
funded and
reauthorized in the
Farm Bill
Legislation; and
WHEREAS,
members of the
National Hispanic
Caucus of State
Legislators (NHCSL)
represent urban and
rural communities
throughout the
United States; and
WHEREAS,
NHCSL members have
expressed their keen
interest in the food,
farming, nutrition,
farmworker health,
and conservation
issues addressed in
federal Farm Bill
legislation; and
WHEREAS,
NHCSL members are
concerned that many
programs of greatest
interest to the
National Hispanic
Caucus of State
Legislators are not
yet reflected in the
version of the 2007
Farm Bill passed in
July by the U.S.
House of
Representatives; and
WHEREAS,
the National
Hispanic Caucus of
State Legislators
understands and
appreciates that the
Senate Agriculture
Committee members
are identifying
resources that
create the funding
base for critical
nutrition,
environment, and
infrastructure
development needs;
and
BE IT NOW RESOLVED,
that the National
Hispanic Caucus of
Stat Legislators
views inclusion of
the following
programs in a
reformed Farm Bill
as absolutely
critical to
garnering the
support of our
members for this
federal legislation:
---Strengthening
food stamp and
nutrition programs.
NHCSL supports
increasing the
minimum for food
stamp benefits;
revising asset
limits; removing the
residency cap for
legal non-citizens;
simplifying the
application and
renewal process of
the food stamp
program; and
developing
incentives to
encourage food stamp
recipients to
increase their
consumption of
fruits and
vegetables.
---Supporting
innovative food
projects.
NHCSL
notes with alarm
that mandatory
funding for one of
the most innovative
programs in the 2002
Farm Bill, Community
Food Projects (CFP),
was ‘zeroed’ out in
the 2007 House
version of the bill.
NHCSL believes that
these highly
successful projects--many
of which were
undertaken in our
members’ districts--should
be supported with
$30M in mandatory
spending.
---Promoting healthy
diets for all
Americans.
NHCSL supports
incentives for
businesses and
individuals, and the
appropriation of
resources to assist
in the development
of infrastructure,
that encourages more
fruit/vegetable
production, supports
organic farming, and
increases access to
healthy and locally
grown foods,
particularly through
farmers’ markets.
Further, NHCSL
recognizes the
critical importance
of
expanding
community-level
investment in retail
markets and
food-based
businesses. NHCSL
also calls for
significant
expansion of the
Fresh Fruit and
Vegetable Program
and the DoD Fresh
program that brings
seasonal fruits and
vegetables into our
schools.
---Supporting our
‘food
entrepreneurs.’
NHCSL
supports investments
in infrastructure,
entrepreneurship
programs and
facilities that
process, distribute
and develop
value-added products
using locally-grown
commodities
purchased from small
and mid-sized local
farmers to meet the
demand for local
healthy food. This
is of particular
importance to
Hispanic
small-business
owners, who play
significant roles in
improving access to
healthy foods in
their communities.
---Keeping the ‘food
and nutrition safety
net’ strong.
NHCSL
supports
strengthening of The
Emergency Food
Assistance Program
(TEFAP) and full
funding for the
Commodity
Supplemental Food
Program (CSFP).
---Reducing air and
water pollution.
NHCSL
seeks assurances
that programs
designed to protect
our watersheds,
fight sprawl and
reduce air pollution
will be adequately
funded in the next
Farm Bill.
---Strengthen and
expand agriculture
conservation
programs.
We believe that
conservation
programs are a vital
strategic investment
in our country's
agricultural
infrastructure, and
therefore enhanced
funding for
conservation
programs is
critical.
BE IT ALSO RESOLVED,
that the National
Hispanic Caucus of
State Legislators
asks members of the
Senate to identify
funds essential to
the aforementioned
programs. The
improvements we seek
in this Farm Bill
will strengthen the
urban-rural
partnerships growing
throughout America
and ensure that the
health and
environment benefits
of this important
legislation are
extended to all
citizens in the
United States.
This
resolution was
adopted on November
17, 2007, at the
NHCSL Annual
Executive Committee
Meeting held
during the NHCSL 5th
National Summit in
Miami, Florida.
Assemblyman
Felix W. Ortiz (NY)
NHCSL
President
|
