2016 Colorado Revised Statutes
Title 24 - Government - State
Governor's Office
Article 37.3 - Colorado Food Systems Advisory Council
§ 24-37.3-103. Council - purpose and duties

(1) The purpose of the council is to:

(a) Identify and use existing studies of the food system and examples of best practices, whenever possible;

(b) Work with other task forces, committees, or organizations that are pursuing initiatives or studies similar to the purposes and duties outlined in this article and develop relationships with other task forces, committees, or organizations to collaborate on similar efforts;

(c) Develop local food recommendations that promote the building of robust, resilient, and long-term local food economies;

(d) Develop recommendations regarding hunger and food access;

(e) Collaborate with, serve as a resource to, and receive input from local and regional food policy councils in the state;

(f) Collaborate with the department of agriculture in promoting the marketing program known as "Colorado Proud", which helps consumers, restaurants, and retailers to identify and purchase Colorado food and agricultural products; and

(g) Develop recommendations for actions that state and local governments, businesses, agriculturists, and consumers can take to build robust, resilient, and long-term local food economies.

(2) In developing its recommendations, the council shall consider, but not be limited to, the following areas of interest:

(a) (I) An examination of foods made available to children, including those in public schools, and consideration of ways to improve the nutritional quality of those foods and increase children's access to locally grown foods.

(II) In designing recommendations to improve school nutrition and increase access to locally grown foods, the council shall incorporate input from, and coordinate with the work of, the Colorado campaign to end childhood hunger by 2015, initiated by executive order of the governor.

(b) A study of efforts to make local, healthy, and safe foods available under public assistance programs, including the possibility of using electronic benefit cards for the supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) and federal farmers' market nutrition program (FMNP) coupons at local farmers' markets;

(c) An in-depth examination of local and regional efforts to strengthen and develop robust, resilient, and long-term local food economies by supporting and promoting urban, suburban, and rural agricultural production; identifying and developing solutions to regulatory and policy barriers; and strengthening local infrastructure and entrepreneurial efforts;

(d) The potential impacts that the production of local, healthy, and safe foods would have on economic development in Colorado, including both the direct impacts for the producers of local food and the actual and potential indirect impacts, such as encouraging restaurants to feature locally raised agricultural products and promoting food and wine tourism; and

(e) Any other issues the council, by consensus, considers pertinent.