CFS Action Alert

J* C*

Forwarded from the Community Food Security Coalition. I apologize for
any
duplication. Please call or fax Senator Feinstein today!
 >
 >CALLS AND FAXES NEEDED NOW
 >TO SUPPORT USDA COMMUNITY FOOD SECURITY INITIATIVE
 >
 >What has happened: Pending legislation in Congress threatens the
future of
 >the USDA Community Food Security Initiative (CFSI).
 >
 >The House of Representatives has passed report language as part of the
2001
 >Agriculture Appropriations Bill (section 732, general provisions) that
would
 >effectively kill the Community Food Security Initiative. Legislation
passed
 >by the Senate does not contain these provisions. Leaders from the
Senate and
 >House will meet in conference committee shortly where they will decide
 >whether or not to include the more restrictive House language.
 >
 >If the House version becomes law, it would mean a serious blow to
efforts to
 >promote community food security as a USDA agency priority. It would
also put
 >a halt to such activities as providing technical assistance to faith
based
 >groups to fight hunger; promoting food recovery and gleaning;
facilitating
 >school food services from buying from local farmers; and publishing 
guides on
 >CFS.
 >
 >Background: The CFSI was developed in 1999 to better coordinate the
many 
USDA
 >agencies and programs related to food security, and to enable the
Department
 >to better use its resources for the purpose of achieving community
food
 >security. To date, it has significantly raised the visibility of
community
 >food security as a federal policy priority, as well as accomplished
 >activities to benefit community practitioners, including holding a
national
 >summit, printing guidebooks, and establishing a system of state
liaisons.
 >
 >Action Needed: Call or fax today the Senator on the Agriculture
 >Appropriations Subcommittee from your state to ask him/her to stand
firm to
 >their report language and not to allow the House version to be
included in
 >the final legislation.
 >
 >Timeline: Conference committee is expected to take place in
mid-September,
 >though no date has been set yet.
 >
 >Talking Points for Letters:
 >
 >1. Community food security is a vital issue in your community. Explain
what
 >it is and how your work is related.
 >
 >2. USDA needs to be supporting community-based and faith-based efforts
to 
end
 >hunger, promote good nutrition, and support family farmers. The CFS
 >Initiative does this effectively by making government help available
to
 >community groups.
 >
 >3. It doesn't entail new funds and doesn't create a new bureaucracy,
but
 >coordinates the activities of various agencies within USDA to ensure
that
 >they all are working towards the common goal of food security for all
 >persons.
 >
 >If you need more information or have any questions, please contact
Linda
 >Elswick at 202-778-6119, ipsa@igc.org, or from 9/14-9/27, Andy Fisher
at
 >310-822-5410, asfisher@aol.com.
 > Senators on Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee to Target
 >
 >Name, State Phone Fax Number
 > (All Area Code 202)
 >Republicans
 >
 >Thad Cochran, Mississippi 224-5054 224-9450
 >Arlen Specter, Pennsylvania 224-4254 228-1229
 >Christopher Bond, Missouri 224-5721 224-8149
 >Slade Gorton, Washington 224-3441 224-9393
 >Mitch McConnell, Kentucky 224-2541 224-2499
 >Conrad Burns, Montana 224-2644 224-8594
 >
 >Democrats
 >
 >Herbert Kohl, Wisconsin 224-5653 224-9787
 >Tom Harkin, Iowa 224-3254 224-9369
 >Byron Dorgan, North Dakota 224-2551 224-1193
 >Dianne Feinstein, California 224-3841 228-3954
 >Richard Durbin, Illinois 224-2152 228-0400

Kristina Cañizares
Program Assistant, Promoting Alternative Food Systems
Institute for Food and Development Policy/Food First
398 60th Street, Oakland, CA 94618 USA
Phone: (510) 654-4400 (ext. 233) Fax: (510) 654-4551

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