Yesterday the Assembly Agriculture Committee passed Assembly Bill 408, the Climate-resilient Farms, Sustainable Healthy Food Access, and Farmworker Protection Bond Act of 2024 with a bipartisan 10-0 vote.
AB 408 is authored by Assemblymember Lori Wilson (D-Suisun City) and proposes a $3.4 billion bond for the November 2024 ballot to invest in creating a more equitable and climate resilient food and farming system. CalCAN is one of the co-sponsors of the bond bill along with 17 other organizations in the Food and Farm Resilience Coalition, a diverse group of organizations working across a number of sectors including food access, environmental justice, sustainable agriculture, labor, and public health.
Bond investments would help create a more equitable and resilient food system with proposed funding across four pillars:
- Sustainable agriculture
- Farmworker well-being
- Healthy, sustainable food access
- Regional food infrastructure
Testifying in support of AB 408 at the hearing was Sandra Nakagawa, Policy Director at the California Climate and Agriculture Network who noted, “The climate crisis is already having devastating effects on California’s broader food system. We also know that climate impacts are going to intensify in the coming years and that those impacts won’t be felt equally across all communities.”
This is the second bond bill sponsored by the Food and Farm Resilience Coalition. During the last legislative session AB 125 (R. Rivas, 2021) proposed similar investments in the state’s food system but the bill did not advance through the legislative process.
Next Steps and How You Can Support:
AB 408 will next be heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee on April 10th. If you would like to support the bill, use this form to sign on to our support letter.
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AB 408 Sponsors: Agricultural Institute of Marin, American Farmland Trust (AFT), California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF), California Climate & Agriculture Network (CalCAN), Californians for Pesticide Reform, Carbon Cycle Institute, Center for Food Safety, Central California Environmental Justice Network, Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF), Food Forward, Healthcare Without Harm, Mandela Partners, Monterey Bay Central Labor Council, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Pesticide Action Network, Roots of Change, Sustainable Agriculture Education.