AB 2090: Office of Farm to Fork: food deserts: transportation.

Existing law creates the Office of Farm to Fork within the Department of Food and Agriculture, and requires the office, to the extent that resources are available, to work with various entities to increase the amount of agricultural products available to underserved communities and schools in the state. Existing law requires the office, among other things, to identify distribution barriers that affect limited food access and work to overcome those barriers through various actions and to coordinate with school districts and representatives to, among other things, increase the nutritional profile of foods provided in schools.

This bill would require the office to also work with transportation agencies to increase the amount of agricultural products available to underserved communities and schools in the state, and to prioritize the departments efforts in food deserts, as defined, throughout the state, especially cities and counties that are most impacted by food insecurity, as defined. The bill would require the office to work to overcome those identified distribution barriers by also facilitating partnerships between statewide, regional, and local transportation agencies to address inadequate public transportation lines in urban and rural communities, with the aim of connecting all communities to adequate and nutritional food access, as provided. The bill would require the office to coordinate with school districts and representatives to assess access to school breakfast and lunch programs during scheduled academic calendar breaks and school closures.