Creation and Mission

To address the prevalence of Food desert

Food desert

A food desert is any area in the industrialised world where healthy, affordable food is difficult to obtain. It is prevalent in rural as well as urban areas and is most prevalent in low-socioeconomic minority communities, and is associated with a variety of diet-related health problems...

s and diet-related illness in New York, and to promote sustainable, Local food

Local food

Local food or the local food movement is a "collaborative effort to build more locally based, self-reliant food economies - one in which sustainable food production, processing, distribution, and consumption is integrated to enhance the economic, environmental and social health of a particular...

, the New York State Food Policy Council was founded on May 20, 2007 by Governor Eliot Spitzer

Eliot Spitzer

Eliot Laurence Spitzer is an American lawyer, former Democratic Party politician, and political commentator. He was the co-host of In the Arena, a talk-show and punditry forum broadcast on CNN until CNN cancelled his show in July of 2011...

’s Executive Order No. 13. The council coordinates state agriculture policy and makes recommendations to the governor regarding policies that will ensure the availability of safe, fresh, nutritious, and affordable food for New Yorkers. While focusing on increasing access to healthy food options for low-income residents, seniors, and children, the council also works to promote New York agricultural products to New York consumers, with a special emphasis on expanding the consumer market for organic food.

In addition to coordinating food policy, the Council will develop a strategic plan to ensure access to affordable, fresh, healthy, nutritious food and expand agricultural production, especially locally-grown and organically-grown food. The sale of organic food is an emerging market, with more than $13 billion spent on organic food in 2005.

In January 2011, under Executive Order No. 2: Review, Continuation and Expiration of Prior Executive Orders, Gov. Cuomo approved the continuation of Spitzer's Executive Order No. 13: Establishing the New York State Council on Food Policy.

Members

The Council includes 21 representatives from all areas of the food system, including the heads of the following six agencies: Agriculture, Health, Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, Aging, Economic Development, and the Consumer Protection Board. Other members are appointed by the Governor and include the Dean of the New York State College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; 1 farm organization representative; 1 school food administrator; 1 consumer representative; 2 food assistance organization representatives; 1 nutritionist; 1 anti-hunger advocate; and 3 representatives from the food industry at large. There will also be four appointed positions for members with experience and expertise related to agriculture, nutrition or food policy that will be recommended by the Temporary President of the Senate, the Speaker of the Assembly, the Minority Leader of the Senate, and the Minority Leader of the Assembly.

With its members announced on September 19, 2007, they included

Linda Bopp, Executive Director of the Nutrition Consortium of New York State

Bruce Both, President of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union; Local 1500

Michael Burgess, Director of the Office for the Aging

Dr. Richard Daines, Commissioner of the New York State Department of Health

Raymond Denniston, Food Service Director of the Johnson City Central School District and Co-Chair of the New York State Farm to School Coordinating Committee

Diane Eggert, Executive Director of the Farmers Market Federation of New York

John Evers, Executive Director of the Food Bank Association of New York State

Daniel Gundersen, Upstate Chair of Empire State Development Corporation

David Hansell, Commissioner of the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance

Dr. Susan Henry, Dean of Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Richard Mills, Commissioner of the State Education Department

Cathryn Mizbani, Senior Extension Administrator and WIC Program Coordinator of the Cornell University Cooperative Extension of Schenectady County

William Rapfogel, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty

Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty

The Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty is a New York-based non-profit social services organization. It offers services to help needy New Yorkers.-History:...

Irwin Simon, Founder, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Hain Celestial Group, Inc.

Julie Suarez, Director of Public Policy for the New York Farm Bureau

Mary Warr Cowans, RD, CDN, and Associate Director of the Division of Nutrition at the New York State Department of Health

Eleanor Wilson, Corporate Dietician for Price Chopper Supermarkets, Inc.

Catherine Young, New York State Senator

Listening Tours

Given a need to gather input from New York citizens, the Council has undertaken a listening tour in which members have engaged with New Yorkers through public hearings around the State. Citizen input gathered through the tour will help the Council formulate policy initiatives and can be found online.http://www.agmkt.state.ny.us/AD/cfplisteningtour.html