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 1, 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.