Contact: Emily Richardson, JD Public Health Communications Manager National Network of Public Health Institutes erichardson@nnphi.

org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

National Network of Public Health Institutes selects seven nonprofit organizations to conduct projects at the intersection of food systems and health May 21, 2012, New Orleans, LA: With support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI) has selected seven nonprofit organizations to conduct policy research and analysis projects at the intersection of food systems and health. The projects will be coordinated by NNPHI and results will be disseminated through the Healthy Farms, Healthy People Coalition which is extending issues of healthy nutrition into a broader perspective of agriculture and food systems. The seven organizations selected include: American Farmland Trust to analyze impacts of food system planning processes designed to enhance public health, promote environmental stewardship, and support economically viable farms; Colorado Foundation for Public Health and the Environment /Colorado Farm to School Task Force to analyze statutory and regulatory structure of agricultural policies as they relate to Farm to School initiatives, with an emphasis on food safety Community Health Institute (NH) to conduct exploratory analysis of New Hampshires food system, including recommended practices to support a healthy food system in a resourceconstrained environment Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy for addressing the health impacts of crop insurance and commodity programs Illinois Public Health Institute to conduct a State of the Science research summit addressing food access, regulations, food safety, and production/supply issues ChangeLab Solutions (formerly Public Health Law and Policy) to examine whether specialty crop funding in the Farm Bill could be used to bring fruits and vegetables into small retail stores Oregon Public Health Institute to examine the impact of the new federal food safety rules in the 2011 Food Safety Modernization Act, using Oregon as a case study

NNPHI appreciates the opportunity to work with these organizations that have demonstrated a capability of working across sectors to advance a health in all policies approach, says Christopher Kinabrew, NNPHIs Director of Government and External Affairs. We look forward to sharing their analyses examining issues of healthy nutrition in a broader perspective of agriculture and food systems.

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About the National Network of Public Health Institutes Created in 2001 as a forum for public health institutes (PHIs), today NNPHI convenes its members and partners at the local, state, and national levels in efforts to address critical health issues. NNPHIs mission is to support national public health system initiatives and strengthen PHIs to promote multisector activities resulting in measurable improvements of public health structures, systems, and outcomes. Learn more about NNPHI and its member institutes at www.nnphi.org. About the Healthy Farms, Healthy People Coalition The American public has a growing awareness of the important connection between food, health, the environment, and the economy, and support for food and farm policy reform has never been greater. The Healthy Farms, Healthy People Coalition was formed to capitalize on the opportunity through targeted policy initiatives to create a healthier, more equitable food system. For more information, please visit http://hfhpcoalition.org/about/ .