California Healthy Food Financing Initiative

As the national effort to bring healthy food access to the country continues to get support in Washington, state and local efforts also are gaining steam. Sacramento is one such statewide effort, and LA is one of the latest local efforts.

The California Healthy Food Financing Initiative, sponsored by Assembly Speaker John Perez (D-Los Angeles), would eventually set up a system to help grocers and farmers markets open new locations in poor neighborhoods and help existing corner stores expand to stock more fresh food. Click here to send Letter of Support to Governor Schwarzenegger.

The Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing Initiative presents a great model for both national and California efforts. There a state investment of just $30 million helped develop 83 new or expanded fresh food outlets in underserved low- and moderate-income communities. It also created or saved 5,000 jobs and leveraged a total of $190 million in total project costs.

The L.A. Food Policy Task Force issued a report last month calling for the city to adopt a new standard: "Good Food for All" – meaning every Angeleno would have access to healthy, affordable, fair, sustainable food.

A California resident’s zip code should not determine whether there are grocery stores or places to buy fresh food. Click here to send Letter of Support to Governor Schwarzenegger.

• Read Judith Bell's op-ed in the Sacramento Bee, Aug 24, "Bill Would Deliver Fresh Foods to Poor Areas"