Iowa politics: Ag secretary candidate proposes $10M school food plan - EUROPE SAYS
Iowa ag secretary candidate proposes $10M school food planChris Jones, a Democrat running for Iowa agriculture secretary, unveiled a $10 million proposal to increase locally grown food in schools, aiming to. . .
Iowa ag secretary candidate proposes $10M school food planChris Jones, a Democrat running for Iowa agriculture secretary, unveiled a $10 million proposal to increase locally grown food in schools, aiming to improve health, rural economies, and water quality. DES MOINES, Iowa —Chris Jones, a research scientist and water-quality expert running against Republican incumbent Mike Naig for Iowa agriculture secretary in November, has proposed a $10 million plan to bring more Iowa-grown food into schools. Jones explained the need for his FAIR proposal, citing Iowa’s reliance on imported food despite its agricultural potential. “In the United States, we have 16 acres of fruits and vegetables for every thousand people. In Iowa, we only have two acres of fruits and vegetables for every thousand people,” Jones said. “As a consequence, we import almost all our food. About 97% of what we eat in Iowa is imported. And I just think that’s not a good thing in a place that’s the best place on Earth to grow things. And so let’s develop some farmers, let’s develop some local foods, let’s develop some fresh foods that aren’t awash in preservatives and pesticides. ”Jones also highlighted the health implications of his plan, noting Iowa’s high cancer rate. “I think this is an important issue for people in a state where the cancer rate is second in the United States. And so we need some policy here to make this happen. And that’s what my plan is all about,” he said. Addressing the financial aspect, Jones argued the $10 million investment is reasonable. “This is an investment in our food system here that I feel strongly will improve the health of our citizens and will improve rural economies and be a real community builder as well,” Jones said. Jones said the proposal could also address environmental concerns tied to Iowa’s dominant crops. “We know corn and soybeans are some of our most polluting crops, especially corn. We know we can get much better environmental outcomes and much better water quality if we’re growing something other than corn,” he said. “We have 26 million acres of corn and soy here. We could feed our entire population with fruits and vegetables grown here with a very small fraction of that. ”Tags:acreamericaChris Jonescornfair proposalFoodfruitgeopoliticshealth implicationhigh cancer rateinvestmentiowa politickccim school food planpeopleplacePlanPoliticsUnited Statesunited states of americaUnited States PoliticsUSUS PoliticsUSAusa politicsvegetable