Legislation Tracker Follows State Food Bills

 

The last half-century has brought a vast consolidation of food production,
distribution, and retailing. The immense changes have not come without a
cost to our environment, health, and culture. We are discovering that our
water, air, and soils are suffering from an onslaught of chemical inputs to
our farming systems. Daily we read about our food being contaminated with
bacteria, chemicals, and other producers of pollution and illness. In
addition, many United States farmers are being pushed to the brink of
bankruptcy as production and processing dollars move oversees. Many of our
foods have traveled the world before reaching our pantry, the origins often
untraceable. 

Farmers throughout the United States watch as farming dollars leave their
communities, not to return.

Some state legislators are exercising their votes to support rural farming
communities by introducing local food bills that better support local
economies and their farmers. Meanwhile, others are launching legislation
aimed at bolstering corporate globalization by stripping local oversight and
control in favor of a more centralized regulatory approach.

            Environmental Commons is tracking state legislation that
influences local sustainable farming systems and community decision-making.
We are keeping close tabs on bills on both sides of the debate-those
intended to favor big business by removing local decision-making of farming
systems and those promoting local food security, sustainability, and rural
economics.

            The bills being tracked include:

 1. Preemption: Bills intended to remove local community decision-making
over food and farming systems.

 2. Local Food: Bills supporting sustainable farming systems, farmers, local
economies, and the regional distribution of foods.

 3. GMOs: Bills addressing the risks of genetically modified food crops and
the inadequacy of federal regulations.

 Take a look at what is taking place at the legislative level in your state
this year and get involved: 

HYPERLINK
"http://environmentalcommons.org/ag-tracker.html"http://environmenta-lcommon
s.-org/ag-tracker.-html

 

 

 


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