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Make your voice heard!
Webinar: The Farm Bill & You
Funding Opportunity

 
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IAPO Leadership Council

 

 

February 2013
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Dear Friends, 

 Elissa's Pic

We live in a very different world than the one that incubated IAPO's Three-Year Policy Roadmap in 2011. The IAPO workgroups have reorganized, and have been revising and rewriting the IAPO policy goals to reflect emerging information, priorities and trends. The Leadership Council will consider these changes to the Roadmap at its upcoming meeting in March.

 

On the national front, with Congress hashing out the next Farm Bill, the USDA developing new rules for competitive foods in schools and a host of sugar-sweetened beverage bills under consideration in state legislatures, it is a formidable task just to stay on top of the news these days.

 

IAPO is here to help. One founding purpose of this diverse network of stakeholders in the public health community is to share and disseminate best practices and current information. Towards that end, you will find helpful resources below to assist you in learning more and taking action on these hot health topics.

 

Watch this space for updates and new resources coming your way. In like a lion, as the saying goes!

  

In solidarity,    

EB signature

Elissa Bassler

Executive Director, Illinois Alliance to Prevent Obesity

CEO, Illinois Public Health Institute

Make your voice heard! 

 

While the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) reimbursable meal programs, the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP), are regulated to ensure proper nutrition, the majority of students in middle schools and high schools can purchase foods and beverages outside of these programs from vending machines, school stores, and � la carte lines. The term "competitive foods" refers to all such foods available outside of the NSLP and SBP.

On February 1, 2013, the USDA issued proposed federal standards governing all competitive foods and beverages that are sold in schools participating in the federal child nutrition programs. The proposed rule was mandated by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010.  The USDA is now seeking public comment on this proposed rule.

We encourage you and your networks to comment on the rule.  IAPO will share model comments from national groups when they are available in March, as well as comments from Illinois groups that are shared with us.  Also, be on the lookout for a report to be released in March on case studies conducted by the Illinois Public Health Institute (IPHI) and the  Institute for Health Research and Policy at University of Illinois at Chicago.  This research highlights schools and districts that implemented stronger competitive food and beverage standards while minimizing negative financial impact - a key concern in many schools and districts.  

Comments are due to USDA by April 9.

 

 

Webinar: The Farm Bill & You: What it is and how to get involved

 

February 26th at 4:00 p.m. (CST)

To register, click here


Join Illinois Stewardship Alliance and the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalitionfor this FREE webinar about the federal farm bill, why it matters and how to get involved. 


Illinois Stewardship Alliance's interim Executive Director, Wes King, will present about what the federal farm bill is and why it is important for citizens and farmers to get involved and advocate for reforms that will support local food systems and sustainable agriculture. The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition's Assistant Policy Director, Ariane Lotti, and Grassroots Director, Sarah Hackney, will give participants an update on where things stand with congressional attempts to develop and pass a new 5-year farm bill, and ways citizens and farmers can support a progressive reform minded farm bill that supports local food systems and sustainable agriculture. 

Citizens, farmers, consumers, food system stakeholders, food entrepreneurs, environmentalists, localvores, foodies... all are welcome!    

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Webinar: How to Use the 2012 Federal Transportation Bill to Strengthen Rural Economies

Sponsored by Transportation for America

 

Wednesday, February 27th, 12:00 p.m. (CST)

To register, click here

 

Participate in an online presentation to learn how to use MAP-21 to fund rural transportation priorities and strengthen your community.

 

Investing in a variety of transportation options -- like public transportation, vanpooling, bicycling, walking and safe roads and bridges -- are crucial for stronger, more resilient communities in our nation's rural areas. It's important to know how our new federal transportation bill (MAP-21) has changed the way communities can access transportation dollars and what these funds can be used for.

The panelists for this discussion include:

  • John Robert Smith, President and CEO, Reconnecting America and Former Mayor of Meridian, MS (moderator)
  • Charles W. Fluharty, President and CEO, Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI)
  • Chris Zeilinger, Director of Policy Development, Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA)
  • Georgia Gann, Deputy Director of Government Affairs, Transportation for America
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Food Safety Modernization Act holding Chicago Meeting 

 

Monday, March 11th, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. (CST) 

Tuesday, March 12th, 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m. (CST) 

For more information and to register, click here.  

  

 

IAPO's agenda includes a focus on increasing access to fresh, healthy foods by building a strong local food system in Illinois, promoting farm-to-school programs, and increasing farmer's markets and other direct-to-consumer sources for local foods. As public health advocates, we are also dedicated to ensuring that the food the public purchases and consumes is safe - we must prevent outbreaks of food-borne illness that can sicken and sometimes kill. 


This makes food safety regulation and enforcement an important issue for IAPO from a number of perspectives; some of which were explored last fall at the Healthy Farms, Healthy People Symposium held last October.  A report from that event will be coming out at the end of February. 


Lend your voice to the discussion on food safety when the USDA holds two meetings in Chicago concerning proposed rules for Preventive Controls in Human Food and Produce Safety Standards on March 11, 2013, 8:30 am -5:00 pm and March 12, 2013, 8:30 am -12:00 pm at The Westin-Michigan Avenue, 909 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago. 


The purpose of this public meeting is to discuss the proposed rules to establish standards for growing, harvesting, packing, and holding of produce for human consumption (the produce safety proposed rule) and for current good manufacturing practice and hazard analysis and risk-based preventive controls for human food (the preventive controls for human food proposed rule). These rules would establish the foundation of, and central framework for, the modern food safety system envisioned by Congress in the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act.   


Attend and give your comments on the proposed rules, learn about the rule making process (including how to submit comments, data and other information to the rule making dockets), and ask questions about the proposed rules.   

Good Food Festival in Chicago


Thursday-Saturday, March 14th-16th
To register, click here
  
One of the recommendations from the "The Healthy Farms, Healthy People" symposium is to establish a mechanism for continued dialogue with attendees about the complex intersection of agriculture and health. We're pleased to announce the Good Food Festival and Conference March 14-16 at the UIC Pavillion in Chicago. This event is for:
  • "Good Food enthusiasts" interested in "DIY" workshops, buying food from artisan vendors, and eating from our local food court;
  • Trade, school food, or policy stakeholders interested in local procurement for your business, growing your business, serving local food in schools, or urban food policy. A special event for you is the Friday Trade, School Food, and Food Policy Day

Other events at the conference include:

oLocal and Sustainable Products Trade show

oFood Policy Summit

 Funding Opportunity

  

Thinking of applying for USDA's Farm to School Grant?

 

Coordinate with the Illinois Farm to School Network.

Julia Govis is the state lead for the Farm to School Network. She is encouraging any organization with a track record of work in this area to submit an application. She would like to talk with anybody who plans to apply so their work can be linked to and supported by the statewide F2S Network (she will write a letter of support too), which will make all our applications stronger!

You can reach Julia Govis directly at (630) 955-1123. [email protected].

 

If your organization has any upcoming events and would like IAPO to promote them in our monthly newsletter, please email [email protected].

 

Funding Opportunity

 

Thinking of applying for USDA's Farm to School Grant?

 

 Coordinate with the Illinois Farm to School Network.

 

Julia Govis is the state lead for the Farm to School Network. She is encouraging any organization with a track record of work in this area to submit an application. She would like to talk with anybody who plans to apply so their work can be linked to and supported by the statewide F2S Network (she will write a letter of support too), which will make all our applications stronger! 

 

You can reach Julia Govis directly at (630) 955-1123. [email protected]. 

 

About IAPO

The Illinois Alliance to Prevent Obesity (IAPO) is a statewide coalition comprised of stakeholders working for a state-level response to the obesity epidemic. IAPO works to shape and advance solutions to reverse dangerous obesity trends.

 
IAPO supporters believe that Illinois must respond to the obesity epidemic by developing coordinated systems, policy improvements and investment on the scale of the problem.  This initiative was launched and is coordinated by the Illinois Public Health Institute (IPHI).  To learn more about IAPO, visit www.preventobesityil.org . 

Illinois Alliance to Prevent Obesity

Convened by the Illinois Public Health Institute   

954 W. Washington Blvd., Ste. 405 MB 10,

Chicago, IL 60607

(312) 850-4744 voice

(312) 850-4040 fax