Strategic Alliance Newsletter
October 2011
Food Day Builds Momentum for a Healthy and Equitable Food System
Last Monday marked the first annual Food Day, with over 200 events taking place across California and well over 1500 events nationwide. Strategic Alliance’s Juliet Sims spoke on the steps of San Francisco’s City Hall, highlighting the growing momentum for health and equitable food systems and the leading role the state has played in advancing healthy food policy. She called Food Day a day to celebrate—but also a time to make sure that we continue to press for food practices and policies that have children and families’ health at heart.
Strategic Alliance and our statewide Food Day partners did just that, by using the day to build support for a Farm Bill that bolsters our health, agricultural industry, economy, and the environment, while keeping health and sustainability at the forefront. With over 16,000 signatures gathered and 66 California organizations signed on in support, California’s Food Day Farm Bill Petition has been shared with Governor Brown and the state’s congressional delegation.
Statewide advocates have also launched campaigns to protect critical federal nutrition programs from devastating cuts, including California WIC Association’s “We Need WIC” campaign. California Center for Public Health Advocacy held a Food Day awards luncheon, Food for the Soul, Fuel for the Movement, highlighting the efforts of statewide food policy advocates.
Food Day may have passed, but that doesn’t mean it’s too late to add your voice to the call for healthy food policy. Click here to learn more and take action.
Register Today: The Role of Community Engagement in Creating Safe Places to Play Webinar
Join the Strategic Alliance for Healthy Food and Activity Environments and Latino Health Access on Wednesday, November 16th from 10:30 am-12:00 pm, to dialogue about the importance of community engagement to improve the places where people live, work, learn and play. Register TODAY!
Community engagement enlists the perspectives, talents, and skills of community residents to create safer, healthier and more equitable communities. Meaningful community engagement presents a real opportunity for planners, developers and public health professionals to create vibrant neighborhoods; improve access to healthy food and safe places for physical activity; increase neighborhood safety; and foster sustainable and genuine leadership. Learn more about “Community Engagement in Design and Planning” in the new book Making Healthy Places: Designing and Building for Health, Well-being and Sustainability.
New Institute of Medicine Report Lends Support to the Growing Call for Protections Against Deceptive Food Marketing
Last week, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) issued a report calling for stronger, clearer front-of-package labeling on food packaging. This recommendation backs the findings of Prevention Institute and Strategic Alliance’s 2011 study Claiming Health: Front-of-Package Labeling of Children’s Food. Claiming Health examined the nutrition content of fifty-eight ‘better-for-you’ children’s foods with FOP labels and found that 84 percent failed to meet one or more nutrient criteria for fat, saturated fat, sugar, sodium, or fiber. At the same time, food manufacturers claim that twelve-year-olds do not need to be protected from advertising.
Claiming Health and our newly released video "We’re Not Buying It" highlight the deceptive ways that food and beverage companies target kids—and parents—with unhealthy foods. The food and beverage industry has been fighting sound federal efforts to limit deceptive food marketing. But we're not buying it: we know that honest front of package labeling is critical for the health of our kids.
The food industry can—and should—do better.
Help us curb junk food marketing to kids and supporting voluntary guidelines for foods marketed to children. Watch and share “We’re Not Buying It.” Then, sign our petition asking President Obama to support federal guidelines that would provide voluntary standards for food marketing to kids.
Read the San Francisco Chronicle’s front-page coverage of the IOM report.
California Food and Activity Bills Update
This legislative season has been an eventful period for many physical activity and food bills in the California State Legislature. From increased breastfeeding support to Safe Routes to School legislation, California passed a number of policies that help support healthy food and physical activity environments.
Click here to check the status of bills that Strategic Alliance supported during this legislative session.
Safe Routes to School Hiring Announcement
The Safe Routes to School National Partnership is hiring Regional Policy Managers in Washington, DC, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Southern California. Applications are due Monday, October 31, at 5:00 PDT. Click here for more information.
California to Receive $22.3 Million in Community Transformation Grants
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently awarded funding to 61 communities across the nation to help communities implement projects to reduce chronic disease, violence and injury, and improve mental health and equity. Ten awards, representing 22% of the $103.5 million in total funds, have been granted to communities across California. This is a significant and momentous opportunity to advance health and safety for millions of Californians, and Strategic Alliance—along with its partners—looks forward to supporting these efforts and continuing to shape and identify opportunities for communities across the state to advance prevention efforts.
Tell Your MO Story!
Do you know a 13 to 18-year-old in California working to make changes and improve health in his or her community? Then the MO Project is for them! CANFIT's online media contest is an opportunity for youth to create a PSA or Spoken Word video highlighting what they’re doing to make their community a safe, active, and healthy place. The contest runs through October 31, 2011. Click here for more information.
Community Food Security Coalition 15th Annual Conference
Food Justice: Honoring Our Roots, Growing the Movement
November 5-8, 2011
Oakland, CA
Click here for more information.
PolicyLink's Equity Summit 2011
Healthy Communities, A Prosperous America
November 8-11, 2011
Detroit, MI
Register here.
Be sure to watch PolicyLink’s excellent new video of equity in action. Now through the end of November, it will be running on the big screen in Times Square.
WIC WORKS Webinar
Breastfeeding Breakthroughs
Tuesday, November 15, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm PST
Click here to register.
Prevention Institute and Latino Health Access Webinar
Creating Safe Places to Play through Community Engagement and Advocacy
Wednesday, November 16, 10:30 am – 12:00 pm PST
Click here to register.
California Pan-Ethnic Health Network Fall Convenings
Seizing the Opportunity: Achieving Equity in Health Reform
A number of convenings throughout California will be held in November.
Click here for more information.
.gif){kind=small}
