Green and Sustainable Practices Committee Notes

07/7/10

PRESENT:  TR Vierra, Eve Nichelini, Nelson Braby, Jennifer Chandler, Jeri Gill, Mike Silvas, Gretchen Stranzl McCann, Darren Peterie, Charles Monahan, Jessica DeLasaux, Melodie Hilton, Dave Whitmer, Ken Frank, Kent Kuhlman, Lea Wilson, Joanna Winter, Caryl Chakerian

TR welcomed new members and presented the mission and benefits of the committee.

FEATURED SPEAKER: Joanna Winter, Napa Local Food Forum.

Joanna presented a synopsis of her Masters thesis on local food and its benefits and potential impact on the community.

Some startling data was shared:

*Napa County ranks second to last of all California counties in “food security” – the ability for every family to put food on the table.

*Diet-related chronic illness rates are increasing, including diabetes and heart conditions

*There are racial, economic and spatial inequities that contribute to the situation

*38% of low income residents have reported food insecurity, with the food that is economical to put on the table being the unhealthiest. Geographic access to food is impacted in this segment of the population with grocery stores staged primarily in the wealthier neighborhoods.

*2% of our local agriculture is used for food production; Napa Co. relies on conventional distribution systems for food supply. This contributes to:

            Pollution

            Food safety liability

            Vulnerability in the event of natural disaster

Leaches the local economy – if 20% of food spending were shifted to local resources the financial impact would increase by a multiplier of eleven. (For every dollar spent it would be re-spent in the community eleven times)

There are many individuals and organizations dedicated to improving Napa’s food system, as the recent Local Food Forum indicated. You can get involved and/or get more information on these organizations here:

www.recipeforsustainability.org

www.napalocalfood.com

FaceBook - Napa Local Food Forum.

Download the July's Meeting's info HERE

There is no meeting in August.

Next meeting is on 09/01/10 at 8:30 am.