Food Justice

Decisions are being made that place profits over the lives and existence of people in this Country and our great State. In valuing profits over people, our current governments continue to fail at protecting the most vulnerable members of our society and compounding the harm on #OurCalifornia. COVID-19 has exacerbated poverty and unemployment levels which have had devastating impacts on food justice. Millions of people are newly experiencing food insecurity, alongside those who were experiencing food insecurity before the COVID-19 crisis began.

During this COVID-19 pandemic, economic crisis and declared States of Emergency I will remain committed to ALL Californians.  As your Governor, I would use the California  Emergency Services Act (2 CCR § 8550-8669.7) and the authority vested to me in 2 CCR § 8567a & 2 CCR § 8569-8570 in order to mitigate the effects of our declared States of Emergency both for COVID-19 and our economic crisis by implementing the following:

• Expand small farmer land access, farming resources and State support;
  • I believe that direct involvement and consistent avenues via State/public contracts designed to support small farmers will not only strengthen small farmers, but diversify and strengthen economic ties in and between localities;
    • Prioritize California Indian & Farmers of Color who have been historically and disproportionately excluded from land access and farming resources – both federally and locally;
    • This expansion and support will greatly reduce current pressures and financial strains of small farmers unable to compete with the substantial resources available to Big Ag firms. I also realize that additional and local support will be needed for community members, local farmers and small businesses to build resilient and sustainable communities as current economic systems are not conducive for the People, for #OurCalifornia to thrive;
  • State Public Banking program will proudly provide small farmers operating within the State of California and all our Sovereign Nations within with low-cost interest loans to meet community needs;
  • Provide land-grant extension agents to all Farmers enrolled in the program for additional assistance, financial support & protection and actively work to end small farmer exploitation and address agricultural corruption;
    • Prioritize California Indian and Farmers of Color who have been historically and disproportionately excluded from land access and farming resources – both federally and locally;
    • Land-grant extension Agents will be assigned & available at a ratio of 1:4 for California Indian and Farmers of Color historically and disproportionately excluded from land access and farming resources – both federally and locally;
• Instead of authorizing and activating the use of our National Guard on unconstitutional curfews & peaceful and nonviolent protesters exercising their 1st Amendment rights and the funds that wasted, we’d call on the National Guard to assist directly with supply chains from farm-to-table;
• State funded program expansion and workforce protections for all workers in the Food Service industry through an expansion of N-51-20, to provide employees from all large and small employers in the State, as well as all independent contractors in the food sector industry impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic with two weeks of State paid sick leave and two weeks State paid quarantine leave to address workers’ health and reduce the spread of this virus, filling a gap left by federal and state relief;
• Work with the & other grassroots organizations and pillars in the farming community to ensure the needs of ALL our small farmers are met in #OurCalifornia;
• Public Markets
• Creating an additional #OurCalifornia #SNAPforAllCalifornians program that expands both SNAP participant and food/supplies coverage to ensure it is no longer means-tested but truly robust collective welfare. The coverage will include, but is not limited to:
  • Hot food inclusion
  • Menstrual and sanitary products
  • Diapers
  • Baby Formula
  • Organic Produce & Fruits
  • Sustainably/Locally Sourced Meats
  • Organic Dairy 
  • Juice & Organic Juice

• Expand public and farmworker collectives;
• Utilizing eminent domain we will purchase public land plots (larger and small)  to return spaces to communities for pesticide-free urban farming for public use and consumption; 
  • Ex.  Returning the South Central LA Farm to Angelenos;
  • Participants must undergo training focused on “regenerating the soil, ecosystem, and local community”
• Utilizing eminent domain we will purchase public land plots (larger and small) to return spaces to communities for pesticide-free community gardens and opportunities to expand for public use and consumption;
  • Participants must undergo training focused on “regenerating the soil, ecosystem, and local community”
• Implementing community gardens on every State property for public use and consumption;
• Legalizing community gardens at all Universal Housing & State Public Housing sites in the State of California;
• Eager to work with the California Lifting Children and Families out of Poverty Task Force to ensure all recommended strategies can be funded and achieved for #OurCalifornia through public policy, action & the robust social safety nets we deserve in our resilient and sustainable communities.