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SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 72

 
2     WHEREAS, The State of Illinois has seen an alarming rise in
3 statistics for the growing prevalence of obesity, diabetes,
4 cancer, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension; and
 
5     WHEREAS, The rise of these diseases in the State of
6 Illinois is predominantly in disadvantaged neighborhoods
7 across the State; and
 
8     WHEREAS, Well documented research has shown the positive
9 correlation of these diseases with poor nutrition due to lack
10 of access to proper nutritional food in disadvantaged
11 neighborhoods; and
 
12     WHEREAS, The identified specific areas suffering from poor
13 access to proper nutritional food are designated as underserved
14 areas; and
 
15     WHEREAS, More than half a million Chicagoans live in three
16 areas of the city identified as "Underserved Areas" when it
17 comes to proper basic nutrition; and
 
18     WHEREAS, These respective underserved areas are
19 predominantly home to residents of African American descent,
20 where nearly 400,000 live in areas with an imbalance of food

 

 

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1 choices; and
 
2     WHEREAS, Residents of underserved areas are limited to food
3 choices such as readily accessible fast food and other fringe
4 retail outlets but very limited or no access to the fresh
5 healthy food available at grocery stores; and
 
6     WHEREAS, Research has indicated large increases in cancer
7 and diabetes in these respective populations; and
 
8     WHEREAS, The Illinois Food Marketing Task Force comprised
9 of civic leaders, private organizations, and vendors has
10 continued to meet and has now formalized recommendations to
11 address the issue of improving children's health by drafting
12 policy recommendations for State and local government that
13 address barriers to supermarket and grocery store development
14 in underserved areas; and
 
15     WHEREAS, The Illinois Food Marketing Task Force has
16 recommended that a partnership of city and State government
17 leaders of Illinois, businesses leaders, and private
18 organizations come together to erase the disparity in nutrition
19 between low-income and high-income neighborhoods; and
 
20     WHEREAS, The Illinois Food Marketing Task Force has
21 specifically recommended the State of Illinois should

 

 

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1 encourage public investment to support local supermarket and
2 grocery store development projects; and
 
3     WHEREAS, The Illinois Food Marketing Task Force has
4 specifically recommended that State and local governments
5 should create a grant and loan program to support local
6 supermarket development projects in low-to-moderate-income
7 neighborhoods; and
 
8     WHEREAS, On May 19th, 2009, the Illinois Food Marketing
9 Task Force officially called upon legislators to establish an
10 Illinois Fresh Food Fund to stimulate supermarket development
11 statewide; therefore, be it
 
12     RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL
13 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
14 CONCURRING HEREIN, that the Illinois Food Marketing Task Force
15 be commended for its efforts to create an Illinois Fresh Food
16 Fund; and be it further
 
17     RESOLVED, That the Illinois Food, Farms and Jobs Council
18 assist the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity in
19 the implementation and distribution of the Illinois Fresh Food
20 Fund to stimulate supermarket development and promotion of
21 self-sustaining businesses for small grocers across Illinois.