CCFB News» August 2022

The following policies were approved by the Cook County Farm Bureau® Board of Directors during a recent meeting and will be considered by delegates at the upcoming Resolutions Committee meeting.

Directors approved a resolution creating a food access policy to support:

1. Incentives, including but not limited to, offering tax credits or breaks to grocery stores in underserved areas.
2. Policy development to support grocery stores and neighborhood-based farmers markets.
3. Simplifying the process for permitting and launching grocery stores.
4. Programs to encourage heathy eating, food preparation, and proper food storage.
5. Partnering with the community when selecting food desert measurements, policies, and interventions. 
6. Increasing the use of third-party and digital platforms for all approved Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) retailers providing that benefits are not used for service fees or delivery charges.
7. Increasing SNAP approved food sales outlets.
8. Food insecurity networks, like food banks, non-profit grocers, and produce carts.
9. Farmer cooperatives to provide services such as crop marketing, distribution, guidance on partnering with food banks, and farmer training.
10. The aggregation of farm products and partners to connect institutions, municipalities, school districts, hospitals, community-based organization, government agencies, and other groups to provide produce to families living in food deserts.
11. Farms connecting directly with food banks, food recovery organizations, and other distributing nonprofits.
12. Expanding the existing tax deduction for food donations to non-profits.
13. Simplifying food pantry partnerships, expansions, and new development.

Members also approved grammatical and technical changes to policy 93 Government Assistance Programs/ Government Assisted Nutrition Programs.

Members interested in providing comments or feedback are encouraged to contact Bona Heinsohn at [email protected].