In collaboration with researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago, researchers at the Rudd Center present the Center’s Revenue Calculator for Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Taxes, an online tool which offers estimates of revenue from taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). This calculator, which was revised in January of 2014, produces expected revenue from a penny-per-ounce tax on SSBs by beverage type, state, city and year (2013-2017). Researchers used the most recently available public and proprietary data on beverage consumption, population, pricing, as well as socio-demographic information on the variation in SSB consumption to populate the updated calculator. Check out the money your city or state could raise by taxing ...
Many neighborhoods in Lawrence, Kansas, where Latinos make up the largest minority group, haven't had access to a full-service grocery store in years. In northern Lawrence the situation has gotten so bad that the area is declared a USDA food desert, a low-income neighborhood where the closest grocery store is more than 2 miles away. While the community and business leaders work on getting a grocery store into the neighborhood, city officials decided that if they couldn't get fresh produce to come to Lawrence, they would start growing their own. The Common Ground Program, created by the City of Lawrence in 2012, is a community gardening and urban agriculture program that seeks to transform vacant or under-utilized city properties into vibrant sites of healthy food production ...
Farmers' Markets are a great way to bring fresh, local produce into a community. To make sure this healthy fare is available to all, many markets purchase machines that allow them to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formally known as food stamps) benefits. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently contracted with the National Association of Farmers Market Nutrition Programs (NAFMNP) to create MarketLink, a new way for farmers’ markets and direct-marketing farmers to get authorized as SNAP vendors and get the equipment they need to accept SNAP benefits. Click here to access MarketLink and to get authorized to be a SNAP vendor. Before MarketLink, each new SNAP vendor had to search out an equipment provider, select a wireless plan, ...
A food bank in Sarasota County is now able to bring fresh, healthy food to front doors. Private-sector donations have enabled the All Faiths Food Bank to purchase a refrigerated truck, named Sprout, for transporting and delivering fresh fruits and vegetables to folks who need them. The custom-made vehicle is designed so people can walk inside the storage area to select their goods. A retractable shelter on the side of the truck will allow food bank employees to offer cooking demonstrations and provide other tips for healthy eating. Customers who qualify for assistance will be given vouchers, so they can choose fruits and vegetables themselves. Read more ...
Washington Governor Jay Inslee has announced his health care agenda for 2014, and set reducing and preventing childhood obesity as a top priority. One proposal would lead to revised health and fitness standards for schools. It would also deploy experts in state government to work with K-12 schools, preschools, and maternity-care programs, encouraging healthful practices such as breast feeding. Read more ...
New York State Senate Co-Leader and Leader of the Independent Democratic Conference (IDC) Jeffrey D. Klein along with assemblyman Felix Ortiz has announced his support of a handful of bills introduced in the State legislature that hope to health youth live healthier lives. Klein also revealed the results of a health education survey that shed some light on what teens know and don't know about healthy living. As part of the Teen Health Awareness Campaign launched in 2013, the IDC administered a Teen Health Awareness and Education survey, a 23-question survey for teenagers in junior high and high schools throughout the State. The survey was designed to gauge knowledge on three issues that can have a great impact on their health: obesity, substance abuse, and endometriosis. The survey ...
On January 8, 2014, the California Food Policy Council (CAFPC) released its first report to evaluate California’s legislative record related to food and farms. It is the first state-policy-focused analysis of legislative votes in the nation. The report tracks 10 food-related bills that were introduced by California lawmakers in the past year. Chances are, one of the five that passed could affect you! Read the report ...
The California Food Policy Council, a network of 19 groups around the state, wants to persuade legislators to pass laws that would support sustainable agriculture and safeguard soil and water quality for large and small farmers. The idea, organizers say, is to make healthful, affordable food options available for low-income urban dwellers, schoolchildren, and others. The council published a report in January 2014 that outlined bills related to food policy that were tracked in the California legislature in the past year. Read the report here. The California Food Policy Council is supported by Roots of Change, a collaborative network of leaders and institutions in California with interest in establishing a sustainable food system in the state. Read more ...
After-school programs are great ways for kids to get active after school and to try new things. But sometimes the snacks provided aren't the healthiest. Healthy Kids Out of School, an initiative of ChildObesity180 in collaboration with Tufts University, has put together some tips on how programs can partner with food stores to get fresh, healthy snacks to hungry kids. Learn how you can build a partnership to help kids snack smart while
staying within your ...
