03/11/2013 03:30 PM Senate RESOURCES

          SCR  1-STATE FOOD RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT GROUP                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:48:56 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  GIESSEL  reconvened  the  meeting  and  announced  SCR  1,                                                               
labeled 28-LS0387\U, to be up for consideration.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
3:49:22 PM                                                                                                                    
BRITTANY HUTCHISON,  staff to Senator  Bishop, sponsor of  SCR 1,                                                               
explained that this urges the  governor to establish a state food                                                               
resource  development working  group, which  would work  together                                                               
with  eight  different state  agencies,  the  Alaska Food  Policy                                                               
Counsel, Native  Villages and corporations throughout  the state,                                                               
Alaska  cattle  ranchers,  farmers,  fishermen,  and  shell  fish                                                               
growers   to   increase   local  production,   distribution   and                                                               
consumption  of food  items. This  resolution would  allow for  a                                                               
stronger more sustainable and healthier food system in Alaska.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
She  said  there are  three  reasons  this  is needed:  it  would                                                               
provide for  healthier Alaskan  communities, a  healthier Alaskan                                                               
economy  and   stronger  food  security.  The   reason  healthier                                                               
communities are needed  is that three out of the  top ten leading                                                               
causes  of  death  in Alaska  are  diet-related:  heart  disease,                                                               
stroke  and diabetes.  Alaskans who  are 2  to 19  years old  are                                                               
currently 20  percent overweight  and 20 percent  obese. Teachers                                                               
are  noticing that  students are  performing more  poorly due  to                                                               
their lack of food or else  they are filling up on empty calories                                                               
such as junk  food, and everyone knows that junk  food is cheaper                                                               
than healthy food.  In 2009 the USDA reported that  13 percent of                                                               
Alaskans were  unable to supply the  food that is needed  to feed                                                               
their entire families.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
As of 2010,  40 percent of Alaskan adults were  overweight and 27                                                               
percent were  obese, a total  of 67  percent; 77 percent  are not                                                               
getting  the  five  daily  servings   of  fruits  and  vegetables                                                               
required  and it  is estimated  that Alaska  spends $477  million                                                               
annually  in  medical costs  directly  related  to obesity.  It's                                                               
obvious that Alaska can use healthier communities.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
3:51:50 PM                                                                                                                    
How would  this help with  healthier economies in Alaska?  In the                                                               
1950s she said 50 percent  of Alaska's food was produced locally;                                                               
currently  it's  only 5  percent.  The  remaining 95  percent  is                                                               
imported for an  estimated $1.5 billion that could  stay here. If                                                               
Alaska  went from  5 percent  of its  own food  production to  35                                                               
percent, that would  represent almost a $500  million increase in                                                               
additional sales  and $2 billion  of increased  economic activity                                                               
to the state.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Lastly, food security is a huge issue  in Alaska and it is one of                                                               
the  Governor's  priorities.  This  legislation  will  help  that                                                               
priority by  strengthening the local  distribution system  in the                                                               
amount  of food  available in  case of  an emergency.  This would                                                               
therefore,  establish  stronger  food  security  and  more  local                                                               
reliance.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MS. HUTCHISON said there were  letters of support from all around                                                               
the state.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:53:06 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR DYSON said  he had never seen a resolution  that has more                                                               
resolves than whereases by a count of  17 to 9. He asked why they                                                               
not  already doing  this and  how they  can do  it all  without a                                                               
fiscal note.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. HUTCHISON  said she  didn't know why  this wasn't  being done                                                               
already, and  that was the  reason for the resolution.  She added                                                               
that  it would  have  a fiscal  note once  the  working group  is                                                               
established.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  MICCICHE commented  that  this resolution  is about  the                                                               
spirit of  Alaska than many knew  as young people. The  state had                                                               
changed significantly and this would  encourage us to get back to                                                               
self-reliance  and independence.  Being  a big  supporter of  4-H                                                               
programs,  he  sees  the results  of  agriculture  and  fisheries                                                               
programs and how getting involved  in those industries encourages                                                               
us to  grow our  foods closest  to home, puts  lots of  people to                                                               
work and gives a lot of confidence to young people.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
3:54:56 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR GIESSEL opened public comment.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
3:55:14 PM                                                                                                                    
RANDI  SWEET,   United  Way  of  Anchorage,   Anchorage,  Alaska,                                                               
supported SCR 1.  She  supported Ms. Hutchison's comments about a                                                               
strong secure  Alaska food system  being essential to  the health                                                               
and wellness of  Alaskans. The resolution creates  a framework to                                                               
create the  cross-sector collaboration, integration  of resources                                                               
and  entrepreneurship that  in turn  can help  with delivering  a                                                               
strong  and secure  food system  than can  provide jobs,  support                                                               
healthy communities, increase food  security, feed the hungry and                                                               
insulate  us  from potential  disruption  along  the food  supply                                                               
chain.  Their existing  group  would work  with  the Alaska  Food                                                               
Policy Counsel with over 200  Alaskans from the farming, fishing,                                                               
business,   food  banking,   anti-hunger   network,  health   and                                                               
environmental,  conservation  sectors  of the  state  to  provide                                                               
nutritious  and  affordable local  foods  that  are part  of  the                                                               
solution can promote healthy weights and disease prevention.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
She explained  that once students  are distracted by  hunger they                                                               
are unable to focus or stay  and succeed in school and their goal                                                               
is to  graduate 90  percent of  Alaskan students  on time  by the                                                               
year 2020. This  resolution would help support  students in their                                                               
academic endeavors  and, additionally, if  they are able  to bend                                                               
the cost  curve on  healthy food, families  won't have  to choose                                                               
between paying for food or heat.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
3:57:49 PM                                                                                                                    
ARNI THOMSON,  Executive Director, Alaska Salmon  Alliance (ASA),                                                               
Anchorage,  Alaska, supported  SCR 1.  He said  they support  the                                                               
governor's endeavors  to improve food  security, self-sufficiency                                                               
in food  production and  creating a reserve  of food  supplies in                                                               
case of food  distribution disruption. There is room  for a great                                                               
deal of improvement if Alaskans  are to become self-sufficient in                                                               
food production he said.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
It is a known fact that  retail food supplies will last less than                                                               
a week  if the transportation links  are cut off by  some sort of                                                               
mishap or  disaster. That  is the  reason the  governor initiated                                                               
food warehousing  across the state.  The Department  of Commerce,                                                               
Community and  Economic Development (DCCED)'s mission  is to work                                                               
with  the  state  food  resource  development  working  group  to                                                               
develop  marketing  and  promotional   programs  to  enhance  and                                                               
identify  new and  expanded opportunities  for  residents of  the                                                               
state in  food production, food processing  and food distribution                                                               
services.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:58:59 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR FAIRCLOUGH joined the committee.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:59:32 PM                                                                                                                    
MR.  THOMSON said  he had  a lot  of experience  with the  Alaska                                                               
Seafood Marketing  Institute and  was well  aware that  there are                                                               
ex-officio members  from the legislature  who are  very cognizant                                                               
of the  institute's marketing efforts  and have  encouraged their                                                               
collaboration  with  Alaskan  grown agricultural  products.  They                                                               
would like to  see more of that kind of  cooperation develop with                                                               
the new Alaska State Work Group.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
4:00:21 PM                                                                                                                    
DELENA JOHNSON, Mayor, City of  Palmer, Palmer, Alaska, supported                                                               
SCR 1.  He said Palmer  is an  agricultural area; 2015  will mark                                                               
100 years for  the Palmer agricultural station. He  would like to                                                               
see local foods and fish in schools.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
4:03:42 PM                                                                                                                    
NICK  MOE, Board  Member, Food  Policy Council  (FPC), Anchorage,                                                               
Alaska, supported  SCR 1. He said  the FPC has met  with hundreds                                                               
of  food  experts, farmers  and  fishermen  to learn  about  this                                                               
important  issue  and is  working  towards  the same  goals.  The                                                               
reason  this  resolution is  so  exciting  is because  it  really                                                               
strengthens the bond between the FPC  and the state to help shape                                                               
better food policies.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
4:06:20 PM                                                                                                                    
PAIGE   KRICHBAUM,  high   school  student,   Alaska  Youth   for                                                               
Environmental  Action, Anchorage,  Alaska,  said  she works  with                                                               
food every day as a baker  at Paris Bakery and Café' and supports                                                               
SCR 1. It's important  that food is good and that  it is good for                                                               
you. "Whereas  access to  fresh and  nutritious local  food would                                                               
promote and contribute to healthier  life styles for residents of                                                               
the state," was the phrase that impressed her most.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR MCGUIRE asked when they are having their BBQ.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MS.  KRICHBAUM replied  Thursday  at  noon and  it  will be  wild                                                               
salmon.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
4:08:10 PM                                                                                                                    
JUSTICE  SKY,   President,  Homer   Chapter,  Alaska   Youth  for                                                               
Environmental  Action, said  everyone likes  locally grown  food,                                                               
but it's expensive and not everyone  can get it. He supported SCR
,  because it  covers  a lot  of the  benefits  of growing  food                                                               
locally. He urged them to make food issues in Alaska a priority.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
4:09:28 PM                                                                                                                    
JAMES  SULLIVAN, Southeast  Alaska Conservation  Council (SEACC),                                                               
Juneau,  Alaska,  supported SCR  1.  He  said food  security  and                                                               
promoting healthy food is a good thing.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
4:10:24 PM                                                                                                                    
DARREN SNYDER, Cooperative Extension  Agent, University of Alaska                                                               
Fairbanks, said  he serves on  the governing board of  the Alaska                                                               
Food Policy Counsel,  and supported SCR 1. He  said the extension                                                               
service has many  co-joining goals relating to this  issue and of                                                               
the many issues and challenges  facing Alaskans he is continually                                                               
reminded of food's  central role in the stability  and success of                                                               
Alaskan communities.  Some of  the Extension  Services' strategic                                                               
planning goals are to promoting  safe and healthy foods that will                                                               
assist  in   increasing  Alaska's  food  security   and  decrease                                                               
imported  foods,  enhance  agriculture opportunities  in  Alaska,                                                               
promote  healthy  food  choices   among  Alaskans,  and  increase                                                               
Alaskans access to agricultural activities.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
In response  to Senator  Dyson's question  about why  this hasn't                                                               
been  done  already,  he  said  they are  seeing  a  grass  roots                                                               
upwelling  of interest  in the  whole local  foods movement  with                                                               
groups such  as Slow  Foods and through  authors such  as Michael                                                               
Pollen.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
4:13:19 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR MCGUIRE  said Alaska is the  leader in so many  bad areas                                                               
and  asked  how  it  compares  to  other  jurisdictions  in  this                                                               
instance. She would  like to see more Alaska foods  in the school                                                               
lunch program and the Division  of Corrections and more exporting                                                               
of salmon and halibut.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MR. SNYDER  said Alaska  has major  challenges in  producing more                                                               
agricultural  products compared  to other  states and  increasing                                                               
local production is not going to be  an easy task. The goal is to                                                               
create efficiencies so healthy food is affordable and available.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  MCGUIRE  said  she  and  Senator  Dyson  had  worked  on                                                               
creating more demand  in terms of renewable energy  by asking the                                                               
Department  of Transportation  and Public  Facilities (DOTPF)  to                                                               
consider compressed natural gas when they look at new purchases.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
4:18:57 PM                                                                                                                    
MR. SNYDER  said they are  looking at a system-wide  emphasis and                                                               
that  is  why  it  is  important to  have  momentum  and  a  good                                                               
comprehensive plan moving forward.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
4:19:23 PM                                                                                                                    
ED FOGELS,  Deputy Commissioner, Department of  Natural Resources                                                               
(DNR), supported  SCR 1 saying  a healthy food industry  is vital                                                               
to  our  state's  food  security. He  oversees  the  Division  of                                                               
Agriculture in outreaching to the  farming community in Alaska to                                                               
find out what it is that they  can do better to foster a stronger                                                               
agricultural industry here. In conversation  with the Alaska Farm                                                               
Bureau  and other  interagency groups  the agricultural  industry                                                               
almost always floats to  the top as one of the  big issues; it is                                                               
linked to  almost every department in  state government. Progress                                                               
has  been   made  by  tightening  up   collaboration  with  other                                                               
agencies, whether it's with DEC  on pesticide regulation or ADF&G                                                               
looking  at how  to mitigate  impacts from  bison on  the farming                                                               
community or  better control invasive  weed spreads, or  with the                                                               
University of  Alaska Fairbanks  in trying to  figure out  how to                                                               
focus  agricultural research  more  on Alaska  issues. They  look                                                               
forward  to  strengthening  this collaboration;  this  resolution                                                               
will go a  long way to strengthen relations with  other state and                                                               
federal agencies as well as other stakeholders.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
4:21:42 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  GIESSEL,  finding  no  further  questions,  closed  public                                                               
testimony.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR BISHOP  thanked his  staff for  the presentation  and the                                                               
three young people who testified.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
4:24:26 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR GIESSEL said as a  nurse practitioner she studied nutrition                                                               
and weight management and thought it was a wonderful resolution.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR DYSON  moved to report SCR  1 from committee to  the next                                                               
committee  of   referral  with   accompanying  fiscal   note  and                                                               
individual recommendations.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  GIESSEL announced  that, without  objection, SCR  1 passed                                                               
from the Senate Resources Standing Committee.