I 
111TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4971 
To increase the emphasis on urban agricultural issues in the Department 
of Agriculture through the establishment of a new office to ensure that 
Department authorities are used to effectively encourage local agricul-
tural production and increase the availability of fresh food in urban 
areas, particularly underserved communities experiencing hunger, poor 
nutrition, obesity, and food insecurity, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 25, 2010 
Ms. KAPTUR (for herself, Ms. KILPATRICK of Michigan, Ms. FUDGE, Mr. 
JACKSON of Illinois, Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin, Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, Ms. LEE 
of California, Mr. CUMMINGS, Mr. NEAL of Massachusetts, Ms. ROYBAL- 
ALLARD, Mr. CLAY, Mr. RUSH, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. RYAN of Ohio, 
Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. KUCINICH, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. HARE, Ms. SUTTON, 
Mr. TONKO, Mr. KANJORSKI, Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania, 
Mr. SHERMAN, and Mrs. DAHLKEMPER) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to 
the Committee on Education and Labor, for a period to be subsequently 
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provi-
sions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To increase the emphasis on urban agricultural issues in 
the Department of Agriculture through the establishment 
of a new office to ensure that Department authorities 
are used to effectively encourage local agricultural pro-
duction and increase the availability of fresh food in 
urban areas, particularly underserved communities expe-
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
03:41 Mar 30, 2010
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6652
E:\BILLS\H4971.IH
H4971
smartinez on DSKB9S0YB1PROD with BILLS
riencing hunger, poor nutrition, obesity, and food insecu-
rity, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Greening Food Deserts Act’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents of 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Findings and sense of Congress. 
Sec. 3. Office of Urban Agriculture. 
Sec. 4. Natural Resource Conservation Service technical assistance in support 
of backyard conservation and community gardening programs. 
Sec. 5. Urban forest invasive species control program. 
Sec. 6. Extension and additional funding for seniors farmers’ market nutrition 
program. 
Sec. 7. Infrastructure funding for farmers’ markets. 
Sec. 8. Evaluation of state of farmers’ markets in census of agriculture. 
Sec. 9. Renaming of Rural Energy for America Program to reflect purpose of 
the program. 
Sec. 10. Urban agriculture outreach program. 
Sec. 11. Promotion of agricultural education programs in schools by author-
izing higher reimbursement rates under school lunch, school 
breakfast, and summer food service programs. 
Sec. 12. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program pilot program of local sus-
tainability grants. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND INTENT OF CONGRESS. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) Dramatic economic, demographic, and land 
use changes in the United States have created areas 
where no supermarkets exist and where limited food 
choice, poor food quality, and lack of affordable food 
prices impact large segments of the country’s popu-
lation. 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
03:41 Mar 30, 2010
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4971.IH
H4971
smartinez on DSKB9S0YB1PROD with BILLS
(2) Demographic changes have opened vast 
pockets of arable land for agriculture in America’s 
urban centers. 
(3) Diversifying United States food production 
from a globally consolidated and industrial food 
chain to one which includes local production rep-
resents an important opportunity to strengthen 
United States agriculture. 
(4) With poverty rising due to chronic unem-
ployment and with food becoming a more significant 
component of family budgets, local production be-
comes an important option for families facing food 
insecurity. 
(5) It is estimated that 18.5 percent of Amer-
ican households have withheld food purchases due to 
economic circumstances, and many of these house-
holds reside in ethnically and racially diverse com-
munities. 
(6) Food insecurity, epidemic levels of obesity, 
hypertension, diabetes and youth osteoporosis are 
caused by improper nutrition in food deserts without 
nutritious, reliable, and locally available healthy food 
options. 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
03:41 Mar 30, 2010
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4971.IH
H4971
smartinez on DSKB9S0YB1PROD with BILLS
(7) Advances in agricultural technologies makes 
production possible in regions previously cordoned 
off from such opportunity. 
(8) With studies suggesting that much of the 
American west is becoming permanently more arid 
and 40 percent of all fresh water resources in the 
United States are used for irrigation, the need for 
more efficient food production and agriculture closer 
to point of consumption is critical. 
(9) Concentration in agricultural production 
and outsourcing have exacerbated the food insecurity 
of many communities. 
(10) In 2001, at least 2,300,000 Americans 
lived in homes in urban areas located more than a 
mile from the nearest supermarket. 
(11) Because many of these Americans are 
without access to a motor vehicle with which to 
reach supermarkets located more than a mile away 
from their homes, and there is no accessible local 
farm production, vast segments of urban areas are 
now described as ‘‘food deserts’’. 
(12) The majority of youth in the United States 
are growing up in environments with little knowledge 
of natural food production and nutrition and lack 
basic survival skills. 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
03:41 Mar 30, 2010
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4971.IH
H4971
smartinez on DSKB9S0YB1PROD with BILLS
(13) Two million, two hundred four thousand, 
seven hundred ninety-two farms were in operation in 
2007, including 300,000 new farms that began oper-
ations with smaller less consolidated operations and 
lower sales than the average of all farms nationwide. 
(14) These new farms, on average, consisted of 
201 acres of land and generated an average of 
$71,000 in income, which was nearly half the aver-
age size and income levels for the average American 
farm. 
(15) Rising fuel costs make transporting food 
long distances significantly more expensive, but cre-
ate opportunities for the economical production of 
food closer to point of consumption. 
(16) From 1997 to 2009, the value of imported 
food products to the United States increased over 
100 
percent 
from 
$43,000,000,000 
to 
$86,700,000,000, which has led to a growing reli-
ance on foreign-produced food, particularly during 
cold seasons, as diminished options exist for locally 
produced fresh and affordable choices. 
(17) Expanding production and access to locally 
produced food strengthens the vital link between 
healthy populations, sustainable living, and the nat-
ural world. 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
03:41 Mar 30, 2010
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4971.IH
H4971
smartinez on DSKB9S0YB1PROD with BILLS