Res. No. 2049

Resolution calling for the immediate implementation of the recommendations in the Manhattan Borough President’s report “Food in the Public Interest” to adopt a “Foodprint Resolution,” and calls from local non-profit groups in the NYC Foodprint Alliance to establish “FoodprintNYC,” a citywide initiative that would establish climate-friendly food policies and programs, financial and technical support, a public awareness campaign regarding the City's food consumption and production patterns and greater access to local, fresh, healthy food.

By Council Members de Blasio, Brewer, James, Lappin, Liu, Palma, Sanders Jr., Vann, White Jr., Foster, Mark-Viverito, Weprin, Jackson, Avella, Yassky , Gerson, Crowley, Mendez, Ferreras, Koppell, Recchia Jr., Katz, Gioia and Vallone Jr. (by request of the Manhattan Borough President).

Whereas, New York City has instituted a number of initiatives that would help reduce global warming and encourage environmental awareness, including PlaNYC, which aims to reduce New York City's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 30% by 2030; Executive Order 107, which directs the City to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from municipal buildings and operations by 30% by 2017; and the GreeNYC marketing campaign, which encourages New Yorkers to reduce their environmental impacts; and

Whereas, While PlaNYC, Executive Order 107 and GreeNYC address many facets of private and public life in the City, neither food nor farming is mentioned in any of these initiatives; and

Whereas, According to “Agriculture’s Role in Greenhouse Gas Mitigation,” a report conducted by the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, it is estimated that globally one-third of all GHG emissions comes from agriculture and land use changes, and that approximately 12% of the total GHG emissions per U.S. household result from growing, packing, preparing and shipping food nationwide; and

Whereas, The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization calculated that production of plant-based foods (whole grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts and seeds), contributes significantly less to global warming than production of animal-based foods, and that, globally, livestock production emits 18% of total GHG emissions, significantly more than the 13.1% emitted by the world's entire transportation sector; and

Whereas, According to the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, approximately 50 years ago in the United States, most foods were generally consumed within close proximity to where they were being produced and or packaged, while today, food typically can travel approximately 2,485 miles from farm to table; and

Whereas, New York City now has 87 farmers markets and 82 Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs that offer a wide array of locally grown foods; and

Whereas, In many instances, these locally provided foods are organically grown, giving these products less of an impact on our "foodprint" since organic farming can emit fewer GHGs than industrial agriculture; and

Whereas, Some low-income communities in the City of New York already contribute to urban agriculture through cultivation of community gardens; and

Whereas, New York City's low-income communities need greater access to healthy, fresh, and locally grown produce which a local and sustainable food plan could provide, as many of these communities currently have a large percentage of residents who suffer from chronic, diet-related diseases, including diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity, according to the New York State Health Foundation; and

Whereas, In addition to providing local communities with greater access to healthier, locally grown food, a local and sustainable food approach within New York City would also expand green jobs for New Yorkers throughout the City's parks, gardens, urban farms, and local food processing, storage and distribution facilities; and

Whereas, The Manhattan Borough President's office issued a report in 2009 entitled "Food in the Public Interest" which recommended environmentally friendly policies and programs regarding the City's food consumption and production, and called for a NYC Climate “Foodprint” Resolution; and

Whereas, The NYC Foodprint Alliance, which includes Just Food, Sierra Club New York City Group, Small Planet Institute, New York Coalition for Healthy School Food, Farm Sanctuary, Kind Green Planet, League of Humane Voters, Animal Welfare Advocacy, East New York Farms!, World Hunger Year, Slow Food USA, Oxfam ActionCorps NYC, Eating Liberally, Brighter Green, and Cool Foods Campaign, recommends the establishment of a public education campaign to raise awareness among individuals, organizations and institutions of the impacts that our food system and food choices have on climate change; and

Whereas, The NYC Foodprint Alliance also recommends mobilizing financial and technical support for greater purchasing of local and preferably organic produce, including such offered by farmers markets and CSA programs, and suggests that such support particularly focus on low-income/underserved communities as well as city-run institutions; and

Whereas, The NYC Foodprint Alliance also recommends encouraging city policy, planning and initiatives that would address climate change by expanding urban agriculture, supporting existing local food development and infrastructure, and setting targets for a local and preferably organic institutional purchasing program emphasizing fresh produce; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls for the immediate implementation of the recommendations in the Manhattan Borough President’s report “Food in the Public Interest” to adopt a “Foodprint Resolution,” and calls from local non-profit groups in the NYC Foodprint Alliance to establish “FoodprintNYC,” a citywide initiative that would establish climate-friendly food policies and programs, financial and technical support, a public awareness campaign regarding the City's food consumption and production patterns and greater access to local, fresh, healthy food.

LS# 7547

JCC

06-23-09