James Ryder (202) 225-0020
Today, Congressman Joe Baca, D-Calif., Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, Nutrition and Forestry, held a hearing on access to healthy food and programs and proposals that can expand the availability of healthy food in areas with limited access.
“Better access to affordable, healthy, and fresh foods is absolutely critical to addressing the obesity epidemic in many of our underserved communities," said Subcommittee Chairman Baca. “First Lady Michelle Obama has done a great job of bringing awareness to the issue of childhood obesity, and I am pleased our Subcommittee was able to explore the connection between poor food access and obesity. With obesity related health care costing our nation over $147 billion annually, we must tackle this problem now or face the devastating fiscal and public health consequences later. The excellent witnesses at today’s hearing, including chef’s Ellie Krieger and Rocco DiSpirito, discussed exciting opportunities to promote access to nutritious foods, and educate children, parents, and communities on fun and effective ways to keep a healthy diet."
“Access to healthy, nutritious foods for all Americans is an important policy objective," said Subcommittee Ranking Member Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE). “The emergence of new local foods markets, such as farmers’ markets, food cooperatives, direct-to-consumer networks, and farm-to-school programs, can play an important role in improving the availability of wholesome foods for both rural and urban populations. I was pleased to explore these and other opportunities to enhance access to healthy foods as part of today’s hearing."
The Subcommittee heard testimony from officials with the U.S. Department of Agriculture as well as from prominent chef and cookbook author Rocco DiSpirito, Food Network chef and nutritionist Ellie Krieger, and from witnesses who have developed innovative and successful initiatives to expand access to healthy food in underserved areas.
Randall Wattermann, of the Nebraska Food Cooperative, is using the Internet as the basis for a new farmer co-op model. Jeffrey Brown, CEO of Brown's Super Stores, Inc is providing new job opportunities and healthier food choices through an innovative grocery business model. Diana Endicott, from Good Natured Family Farms, has created a collaboration among 150 farm families developing new markets for fresh local produce.
Written testimony provided by the witnesses is available on the Committee website: http://democrats-agriculture.house.gov/hearings/index.html. A full transcript of the hearing will be posted on the Committee website at a later date.
Witness List:
Panel I
The Honorable Kevin Concannon, Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C.
Ms. Michele Ver Ploeg, Economist, Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C.
Panel II
Ms. Ellie Krieger, M.S., R.D., Food Network Chef and Host of Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger, New York, New York
Mr. Rocco DiSpirito, Bestselling Cookbook Author and Chef, New York, New York
Accompanied by:
Ms. Vicki Escarra, President and CEO of Feeding America, Chicago, Illinoise
Mr. Randall Wattermann, Founding Chairman and Treasurer, Nebraska Food Cooperative, West Point, Nebraska
Mr. Jeffrey N. Brown, President and CEO, Brown's Super STores, Inc., Westville, New Jersey
Ms. Diana Endicott, Farm to Market Coordinator, Good Natured Family Farms, Bronson, Kansas
Source: House Committee on Agriculture
