In This Edition...

CA Climate Change Plan Fails to Promote Smart Land Use and Public Transportation

California has taken important steps to address climate change through the state Climate Change Plan, which aims to reduce statewide emissions by 2020. However, the plan fails to promote smart land use and public transportation, both critical strategies for reversing the impact of climate change. Investing in such changes is not only important in terms of addressing climate change, but also in promoting public health. Technological solutions will not provide the co-benefits that smart land use and public transport provide such as promoting active, healthy lifestyles and reducing chronic illnesses that are exacerbated due to a lack of opportunity for healthy physical activity, such as diabetes. Let the California Air Resources Board know that they need to build these elements into the plan. Visit Healthy Places Coalition, Safe Routes to School National Partnership, and Smart Growth America for sample comment letters and ways to take action. Comments on the plan are due August 1st!  If you represent a larger organization and want to join the coalition of groups working to oppose this plan, contact Autumn Bernstein of ClimatePlan at autumn@climateplanca.org.

California First State to Ban Trans Fats. Governor Schwarzenegger has signed legislation banning trans fats in restaurants and other food facilities statewide. California is the first state to pass a statewide ban. This is a example of local policy influencing state legislation: Baltimore, Philadelphia, Boston, and New York City are among other cities and counties across the country that have already passed local policies banning trans fats. Learn more

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Proposed Ordinance Bans New Fast Food Restaurants in South Central LA. City Councilwoman Jan Perry has proposed an ordinance that would ban new fast food restaurants in her South Central Los Angeles district. The ordinance also includes incentives to attract grocery stores, sit down restaurants, and healthy foods in corner stores. South Central has higher rates of chronic disease such as diabetes than the rest of the county. Perry points out that it is no coincidence that this low-income, community of color has a much higher percentage of fast food restaurants compared to other areas of L.A. The proposed ordinance has been met with opposition from the California Restaurant Association, but has been praised as a bold move by researchers and advocates to tackle the root causes of health disparities. Learn More about the ordinance, and read a report commissioned by Perry in 2006 on recommended financial and planning incentives to attract more grocery stores and sit-down restaurants to underserved areas of the city.

Rising Food Costs Impact Childcare Meal Reimbursements

Child care providers are struggling to serve healthy meals to children most in need, since meal reimbursement rates have not kept up with soaring food prices. Strategic Alliance Steering Committee member Paula James of the Contra Costa Childcare Council recently provided testimony at the House Committee on Education and Labor hearing on this burgeoning issue. She stressed that as families struggle with rising food costs, the Child and Adult Care Food Program is more important than ever. However, insufficient meal reimbursement rates also decrease access to the program and compromise the quality of meals served. As Ms. James stated “At a time when prevention of childhood obesity is of paramount concern nationally, we can afford neither.” Watch a video of her testimony, or read it here.

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Virginia’s New State Farm-to-School Program and Website

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS), in accordance with policy recommendations from the Virginia Farm-to-School Task Force, has created a state farm-to-school program and accompanying website to match farmers and school foodservice directors. The website features key information on how farmers can connect to schools. For additional resources, check out the ENACT sustainable agriculture strategies for your own school and community! Learn more about VDAC’s efforts.

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Colorado Takes Important Steps to Improve School Nutrition

Colorado Governor Bill Ritter recently signed two bills into law that will improve school nutrition in the state. SB 08-123 will provide free school lunches to every student in the state currently qualifying for reduced price lunches through the federal National School Lunch Act. SB 08-129 will require districts to adopt guidelines on food and beverages sold in schools.

New Resources and Reports

• Starved for Access: Life in Rural America’s Food Deserts (The Rural Sociological Society) provides policy options to address limited food access in many rural communities.

• School’s Out…Who Ate? A Report on Summer Nutrition in California (California Food Policy Advocates) highlights community strategies and policy opportunities to increase access to and participation in the federally-funded Summer Food Service Program.

• Investment in Safe Routes to School (SR2S) Projects: Public Health Benefits for the Larger Community (CDC) demonstrates that investment in SR2S programs has great potential to increase physical activity among adults and children in urban areas.

• Assessing 'fun foods': nutritional content and analysis of supermarket foods targeted at children (University of Calgary) shows the majority of products marketed to Canadian children claim to be nutritious even though most have poor nutritional value. Read the press release.

Grant Announcements

• Due August 28: Active Living Research: Investigating Policies and Environments to Support Active Communities Call for Proposals from Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
• Due July 30: Active Living Research (ALR) 2009 Annual Conference Call for presentation and paper abstracts and for award nominations
  

Upcoming Events

• Tractors, Trucks, and Trains - How Federal Farm, Food and Transportation Policy Impacts Our Health WEBINAR! July 29th, 2008

• CEQA and Climate Change:  Partnering with Local Agencies to Combat Global Warming

  3 upcoming workshops in Santa Barbara, Riverside, and Encinitas

• Marion Nestle Book Signing! Food Politics: The Chihuahua in the Coal Mine August 27, Oakland, CA
• 5th Childhood Obesity Conference: Creating Healthy Places for All Children June 9-12, 2009, Los Angeles
• Safe Routes to School Annual Meeting - Register Now! September 2nd, Seattle, WA

More Events...

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Thanks for reading!  The Strategic Alliance is currently engaged in building a broad and diverse statewide membership.  If you were forwarded this e-mail and want to receive your own copy in the future, please click here or e-mail sarah@preventioninstitute.org.  And if you’re already a member, please forward this message to your colleagues so we can continue to strengthen our coalition.  Thank you!

WHAT IS THE STRATEGIC ALLIANCE?

The Strategic Alliance is reframing the debate on nutrition and physical activity away from a focus solely on individual choice and lifestyle towards one of environmental influences and corporate and government responsibility. Current Steering Committee members are: California Adolescent Nutrition and Fitness Program (CANFit), California Center for Public Health Advocacy (CCPHA), California Food Policy Advocates (CFPA), California Pan-Ethnic Health Network, California Park and Recreation Society (CPRS), California Project LEAN, California WIC Association (CWA), Child Care Food Program Roundtable, Latino Health Access, Partnership for the Public’s Health, Prevention Institute, and Samuels & Associates.

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