Farm Bureau Supports Increased Food Access
Senate Bill 3407 amends the Wildlife Code to permits a meat processor to donate deer meat that the meat processor has processed to a charitable organization or local food bank. Provides that if a properly tagged deer is processed at a licensed meat processing facility and if the owner of the deer fails to claim the processed deer within a reasonable time or notifies the licensed meat processing facility that the owner no longer wants the processed deer or wishes to donate the deer, then the deer meat may be given away by the licensed meat processor to another person or donated to a charitable organization or community food bank. Farm Bureau supported Senate Bill 3407, which is awaiting the Governor’s signature.
Senate Bill 850 creates the Grocery Initiative Act. In addition to studying food insecurity in urban and rural food deserts, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity will also establish a Grocery Initiative to expand access to healthy foods in food deserts in Illinois by providing assistance to independently owned for-profit grocery stores, as well as grocery stores owned and operated by local governmental units. Senate Bill 850 has been signed by the Governor. Farm Bureau supported the initiative.
House Bill 2879 creates the Illinois Farm to Food Bank Program Act and establishes the Illinois Farm to Food Bank Program within the Department of Human Services to help expand the availability of nutritious, locally grown, raised, or processed foods for Illinois' emergency food system. Provides that the program shall acquire and distribute agricultural products from Illinois agricultural entities or aggregators to Illinois' emergency food system, and provide grants to improve capacity of the emergency food system to allow for the proper transportation, storage, or distribution of agricultural products to underserved areas. Provides that the program shall target fruits, vegetables, meat and poultry, dairy, and eggs produced in Illinois. House Bill 2879 also creates the Farm to Food Bank Advisory Council to provide support to the program through facilitating relationship-building and partnerships between the Illinois agricultural sector and the emergency food system and other matters. Farm Bureau supported House Bill 2879, which has been signed by the Governor.
Cook County Farm Bureau continues to be committed to improving food access in Cook County and Illinois. To facilitate that Cook County Farm Bureau drafted and led the passage of Farm Bureau’s first ever Food Access policy, which enabled the organization to actively support and engage in.
Learn More:
Farm to Food Bank Program Explained