For media inquiries, email dchin@thecsi.org
From growing fruits and vegetables to eating at a restaurant, the food system impacts all of us. To have a healthy, sustainable and equitable food system for all requires that we tackle challenges across the system from production to distribution to consumption. In doing so, we want to ensure that no farmer growing healthy food has to fear losing her land due to drought or debt and that no restaurant worker struggles to put food on the table for his family. CSI urges Congress to adopt policies that support small farmers, increase affordability and access to healthy foods, support regional food hubs and establish a living wage for American workers.
CSI releases our 2013 policy opportunity document for the food system. We call upon the White House to boldly advocate that Congress pass a full and fair farm bill. The President should:
- Request $20 million (per year) in funding for Section 2501: Funding for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers to help small family farmers and farmers of color stay on their land and produce healthy food;
- Restore funding to nutrition programs dedicated to increasing access to healthy foods in marginalized communities, both urban and rural;
- Back the Local Farms, Food and Jobs Act to increase access to healthy food and build a local and regional food economy;
- Fully fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to ensure that no family has to make a choice between paying the rent or mortgage and buying food for dinner.
- Support the Miller-Harkin Bill to raise the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour for un-tipped and $7.07 for tipped workers.
