Senate Farm Bill Hearing, "Healthy Food Initiatives, Local Production and Nutrition"

Vilsack: Local food is "one of the fastest growing segments of agriculture;" Downloads of witness testimony...
Washington, DC: On Wednesday morning, the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry held a Farm Bill hearing on "Healthy Food Initiatives, Local Production and Nutrition," with six witnesses testifying, including Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. The hearing comes on the heels of the release of USDA's new report to Congress about local and regional food initiatives, the digital document "Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Compass," which was the subject of a national virtual conversation from the White House on Monday.

Committee Chairwoman Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) opened the hearing by noting that locally grown foods are helping create new market opportunities for farmers and agriculture producers across the country, while also helping to provide families greater access to healthy and nutritious foods. Witnesses during their testimony covered everything from the impact of First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! campaign to farm to institution sourcing; the importance of federal nutrition programs including SNAP for combating hunger; the growing demand for farmers markets; to the importance of the Healthy Food Financing Initiative, as well the benefits of local food initiatives in a tough economy, including the healthy impact on jobs.

Stabenow said that food hubs and local food systems are a ‘win-win’ for agriculture, and helping to re-introduce agriculture to a younger generation of up-and-coming farmers and ranchers.

“We also know how important local food systems have been in this difficult economy. Food policy councils, farmers markets, co-ops, and food hubs are bringing farmers together with low-income school districts, food banks, and grocers in food deserts to provide fruits, vegetables and other healthy products to families in need,” Stabenow said.

During his testimony, Sec. Vilsack cited the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food initiative, and hailed local food as "one of the fastest growing segments of agriculture." Direct consumer sales have doubled in the past decade to reach close to $5 billion in 2008, he said.

"More than ever, consumers are interested in where their food comes from and are seeking out a connection to the men and women who put food on our tables," Vilsack said. "Buyers in every sector of the food system have increased local food purchases, and conversations between farmers and consumers are taking place every day in every part of the country."

Still, USDA does not have a hard definition for "local," and will decline to create a legal definition for "local," Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan said during the White House virtual conversation. She is the architect of Know Your Farmer, and said defining the term "local" would limit efforts to build vibrant food systems that best serve all constituencies, from producers and growers to consumers.

Witnesses included Ron McCormick, Senior Director of Local Sourcing & Sustainable Agriculture for Walmart, the largest private-sector partner for the Let's Move! campaign. McCormick discussed the company's partnership with Let's Move!, and noted that Walmart is now sourcing nearly 11% of its produce "locally" for its more than 3,800 outlets in the 50 states and Puerto Rico. In some states, more than 50% of Walmart's sales are through the use of federal SNAP benefits, also known as Food Stamps, according to the company.

Also testifying: Jody Hardin, a fifth-generation family farmer from Grady, Arkansas, and co-founder of the Foodshed Farm All Arkansas Basket-A-Month program, which is based at Hardin Farm in Grady; Anne Goodman, President and CEO of Cleveland Foodbank; Dan Carmody, President, Eastern Market Corporation, of Detroit, MI, which runs one of the largest urban farmers markets in the US, as well as other food access projects; and John Weidman, Deputy Executive Director, Food Trust, Philadelphia, PA. The Food Trust is a non-profit that works on healthy food access issues, including farm to school sourcing and bringing healthy foods into "underserved" communities.

The testimony...

Sec. Tom Vilsack, Testimony: DOWNLOAD HERE

Dan Carmody, Eastern Market Corp, Testimony: DOWNLOAD HERE

Ron McCormick, Walmart, Testimony: DOWNLOAD HERE
Jody Hardin, Arkansas, Farmer, Testimony: DOWNLOAD HERE

Anne Goodman, Cleveland Food Bank, Testimony:  DOWNLOAD HERE
John Weidman, Food Trust, Testimony:  DOWNLOAD HERE

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Senate Farm Bill Hearing: "Healthy Food Initiatives, Local Production and Nutrition"

Livestream on Wednesday, March 7: Witness list includes Sec. Tom Vilsack and Walmart's Senior Director of Local Sourcing & Sustainable Agriculture...
On Wednesday, March 7, Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, will convene a Committee hearing for the upcoming Farm Bill on "Healthy Food Initiatives, Local Production and Nutrition." The hearing "will explore innovative opportunities in agriculture through policies that assist the development of local markets for farmers – connecting them to the growing consumer demand for locally-produced, healthy food options." Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will testify, as will Ron McCormick, Senior Director of Local Sourcing & Sustainable Agriculture for Walmart. Walmart's potential impact on farmers and local and regional food systems is sweeping: It is the largest grocer in the US, and the largest private-sector partner for First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! campaign. (Above: Mrs. Obama unveils Walmart's plans)

Walmart has committed to drop the price of fresh produce and other healthy foods, and build or revamp up to 300 stores in "food deserts" as part of the First Lady's Let's Move! pledge to eradicate all US food deserts by 2017. In some states, more than 50% of Walmart's sales are through the use of federal SNAP benefits, also known as Food Stamps, according to the company. Walmart recently announced that it had "saved" consumers $1.7 billion in food costs in 2011, as part of the Let's Move! commitment.

The hearing begins at 9:30 AM EST in room 216 of the Hart Senate Office Building, and a live webcast can be viewed on the Committee’s website at http://ag.senate.gov.

The USDA last week unveiled the Know Your Farmer Know Your Food Compass, a massive digital project that doubles as a report to Congress on the agency's efforts to support local and regional food systems.

Walmart is based in Bentonville, Ark, and a farmer from Arkansas, Jody Hardin, will also testify before the Committee. He is a fifth-generation family farmer, and co-founder of the Foodshed Farm All Arkansas Basket-A-Month program, which is based at Hardin Farm in Grady. Anne Goodman, President and CEO of Cleveland Foodbank, Cleveland, OH, which received a $100,000 grant from Walmart in January, will testify.

One of Stabenow's constituents, Dan Carmody, President, Eastern Market Corporation, of Detroit, MI, is also on the witness list. Eastern Market runs one of the largest urban farmers markets in the US, among other food access projects. John Weidman, Deputy Executive Director, Food Trust, Philadelphia, PA, is the final witness. The Food Trust is a non-profit that works on healthy food access issues, including farm to school sourcing and bringing healthy foods into "underserved" communities.

Witness List

Panel I
Hon. Tom Vilsack, Secretary, US Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC

Panel II
Mr. Dan Carmody, President, Eastern Market Corporation, Detroit, MI
Mr. Ron McCormick, Senior Director of Local Sourcing & Sustainable Agriculture, Walmart Stores, Inc, Bentonville, AR
Mr. Jody Hardin, Farmer, Grady, AR
Ms. Anne Goodman, President and CEO, Cleveland Foodbank, Cleveland, OH
Mr. John Weidman, Deputy Executive Director, Food Trust, Philadelphia, PA

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Food Politics: Behind The Scenes At First Lady Michelle Obama's Olive Garden Dinner

First Lady spreads the word about health and fitness...and gets in some 2012 campaigning, too...
Fort Worth, TX: "Hello! Who's ready for dinner?" First Lady Michelle Obama sang on Thursday evening as she made an unceremonious entrance through the back door emergency exit of an Olive Garden restaurant located in the remote corner of a sprawling shopping mall on Rain Lily Trail. She was followed by Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives Sam Kass and a string of aides. The third event on the multi-state tour for the second anniversary of Let's Move!, the dinner with eight locals was the first Mrs. Obama has ever hosted for her campaign. It was modeled after the popular "Dinner with Barack" fundraisers created by Obama for America, which had President Obama raffling himself off during the 2011 fund raising cycle as a dinner date for four strangers. Those dinners were filmed by White House videographers for campaign materials, and Mrs. Obama's was filmed, too. (Above: Mrs. Obama with her guests; aides are seated at the far table)

The Let's Move! tour is one of the longest solo trips Mrs. Obama has had as First Lady, and is also in service to the 2012 re-election: Four of the eight scheduled events are in the battleground state of Florida. Mrs. Obama was last in Florida for a Let's Move! event--and two fundraisers--on Jan. 26, during the week when GOP presidential hopefuls were rampaging around the state ahead of the selection primary. In a Friday interview with reporters traveling with her, Mrs. Obama admitted that her three-day celebration is indeed a boon for her husband's re-election bid.

"This is a bit of a two-fer," Mrs. Obama said of the tour. "Because it's an issue that I care about, and it's an issue that's important to the country. ...I want to make sure that what I do enhances him."

That "enhancing" is palpable: Let's Move! gives new meaning to the term "food politics." The campaign embroiders the top notes of President Obama's pledge to "Strengthen America," the White House catch-phrase since the State of the Union Address. If obesity can be reduced or eliminated, Mrs. Obama is promising a healthier, brighter, more competitive future for America's chief asset, its children. The campaign, Mrs. Obama says, is a must for academic achievement, and for national security, too, thanks to a high incidence of obesity (an estimated 27%) in prospective military recruits.

The Let's Move! focus on making healthier foods "more affordable and accessible" --a key pillar of the campaign--is an election season boon for the President, who, according to polls, is being judged by voters chiefly on the (under) performance of the economy. The many citizens struggling to put dinner on the table can't help but be thrilled when Mrs. Obama announces that she's gotten private sector grocery corporations--including Walmart, which feeds 140 million shoppers weekly--to commit to reduce their prices on fruit and vegetables.* Nor can voters ignore that the expected 250-300 grocery markets that will be built in communities as part of the pledge to eliminate every US "food desert" by 2017 will also create jobs. Lowering the unemployment rate is crucial for the President's re-election bid.

The six women and two men invited to join Mrs. Obama at the Olive Garden didn't have to donate to the re-election war chest to enjoy their dinner with the First Lady, but they will do a good job of spreading the good word about the Administration's efforts to strengthen America with Let's Move!. All were parents involved in child health projects, and they were hand-picked by the White House. After the dinner, they spoke glowingly to members of the media during a parking lot de-briefing, describing their conversation with the First Lady, which included Mrs. Obama discussing her husband.

The Olive Garden restaurant was chosen to spotlight parent company Darden Restaurant, Inc.'s commitment to change its menus for the Let's Move! campaign. The guests were already seated around a long wooden table as Mrs. Obama arrived shortly after 6:00 PM, having just flown in to Love Field in Dallas. She was clad in her third outfit of the day: A cropped navy blue crackled leather jacket, a long scarf with a colorful geometric pattern, and navy pants. She quickly removed scarf and jacket, revealing a popping pink sweater and a red and black top.

Texans apparently have a unique take on manners: The guests did not stand as the First Lady entered the dining room, which was decorated with black and white "vintage" photos and faux Italian urns. Instead, Mrs. Obama worked her way around the table, which was laden with deep, family-style bowls of fresh salad greens. She greeted each seated guest with a full-on hug, accomplished by bending down from the waist and wrapping her arms around the lucky recipient.

"Nice to see you," Mrs. Obama said again and again.

Mrs. Obama's party was screened off from the rest of the eatery by floor-to-ceiling black drapes, which billowed around the members of her security detail who were posted on the side that could be approached by very curious members of the public: The restaurant was open for business. Patrons who were not invited to Mrs. Obama's dinner buzzed about the First Lady's presence; they'd been wanded and screened before being allowed to sit and order from the menu of bottomless pasta bowls and all-you-can-eat breadsticks. Adding to the excitement: Mrs. Obama's private dining room was located along the single hallway that led to the restrooms, providing an excellent excuse for plenty of curious onlookers to attempt to peek in. They were tersely rebuffed by dark-suited Secret Service agents and Darden staff.

Kass, clad in a white button down shirt and jeans, was jacketless and tieless, and worked his way through the gang of photographers and videographers who were allowed to film the opening moments of the dinner. Carrying a handful of note cards, Kass sat down in the center of the table across from where the First Lady would eventually land, her last hug handed out.

The menu...
Darden Restaurants, Inc. is the largest full-service chain in the world, and also parent to the Red Lobster and other iconic restaurant brands. Last September, Mrs. Obama hailed the company's pledge to reduce calories and sodium in their meals and to provide healthier options in their kids’ menus as "a breakthrough moment in the restaurant industry." Senior Vice President for Culinary and Beverage Service Julie Elkinton joined Mrs. Obama at a Maryland Olive Garden for that announcement, and she was in Ft. Worth, too. As the meal began, Elkinton stood at the corner of the table and showed Mrs. Obama and her guests a prototype for the new kids' menu, and gave a quick progress report (above).

Then it was time to eat. Waiters moved in to pour water: Evian or Pellegrino, from bottles on the table. Mrs. Obama chose the still water.

"I hope you're hungry. I'm starving," Mrs. Obama said, as she passed a bowl of salad.

She'd flown close to 2,000 miles on Thursday, not to mention dancing "The Interlude" on a stadium stage in Iowa, surrounded by politicians, celeb sports stars and 14,000 kids for a massive Let's Move! birthday party that spotlighted the state's efforts, started five years ago, to make Iowa the healthiest state in the nation. The First Lady had also joined Pentagon officials in Little Rock, Arkansas as they unveiled pathbreaking changes to Defense Department food service, another win for the campaign.

The special three-course menu for Mrs. Obama's dinner included limited selections from Olive Garden's "healthy fare" offerings; all lower in calories than other menu options. Calorie counts for the dishes were printed on the menus, an innovation just for the dinner, a Darden spokesman said. Mrs. Obama chose the same entree she'd had during her September Olive Garden lunch: Venetian Apricot Chicken, with two grilled breasts in an apricot citrus sauce, served with broccoli, asparagus and diced tomatoes (400 calories). She started with Minestrone Soup (100 calories). Both dessert options were small in size and served in glass bowls. Mrs. Obama chose the Limoncello Mousse with Vanilla Cookie Crust for dessert (230 calories). (Above: The First Lady's entree)

Kass had the same salad and soup as his boss, and ordered the Capellini Pomodoro, made with Roma tomatoes, garlic, fresh basil, and extra-virgin olive oil for his entree (480 calories) and the Strawberry Mousse with White Chocolate Cream Cake for dessert (210 calories).

Let's What?
The conversation was all about parenting and helping kids live healthy lifestyles; it was an "opportunity" for Mrs. Obama to hear from the grassroots, according to the White House. The First Lady's guests included Andrea Breedlove; Cynthia Foster; Jenny Hogan; Cassandra Leach; husband/wife Richard and Carrie Martinez; and husband/wife Jason and Andrea Roberts. They were chosen, according to Mrs. Obama's Press Secretary, Hannah August, on the recommendation of various organizations and White House partners "who helped identify people in the area who were making healthy changes at home and/or communities."

For instance, Breedlove is a high school crisis counselor who helps teen girls work with negative body image issues; the Roberts couple works nationally on creating bike-friendly communities; Hogan, a mother of three, is vice president of her local elementary school PTA and raised $54,000 by organizing a running event. Her kids--ages four, six, and eight--all do pint-sized triathalons, she told Obama Foodorama.

After the menu briefing, the rest of the media was ushered out, but the two reporters traveling with the First Lady were allowed to remain in the room. The duo are from The New York Times and Wall Street Journal, and typically cover the President rather than his wife. Mrs. Obama opened the conversation by saying it's one thing to sit in Washington, DC and talk about the initiatives she's championing, but that it doesn't matter if they're not reaching parents and kids and having an impact on the ground.

Which is true: In the post-dinner de-briefing with the rest of the media, four different guests told Obama Foodorama that they had never heard of the Let's Move! campaign until they were called by White House aides five days ago and invited to the dinner. They're inspired and very interested now, of course, all said.

Kass moderated the conversation, leading the parents through telling their stories, and Mrs. Obama shared her own stories--which included explaining the Walmart partnership and how she came to start Let's Move!. (Above: Kass, seated between Martinez (l) and Breedlove)

Stressing the need for parents to set examples, Mrs. Obama talked about how her father was active when she was growing up. Before he got Multiple Sclerosis, he swam and boxed, she said.

She said "Let's Move!" is a result of her own experiences as a working mother whose husband was out of town a lot.

"For me this is personal," Mrs. Obama said. "This issue for me came out of my own experiences."

During Let's Move! campaign speeches, Mrs. Obama often describes the difficulty she had feeding her children healthy food when she was essentially a single mother, thanks to her husband being away in Washington as a Senator. She talks about a reliance on high-sodium, high-calorie take-out and pre-packaged foods. She rarely mentions that Kass was the family's personal chef when they were still living in Chicago, and that she had the benefit of the kind of help that few parents have.

During the dinner, she described the thrilled reaction of local kids to her White House Kitchen Garden when they're invited to harvest events, and talked about throwing open the vast grounds for the South Lawn Series, where kids are invited for fitness events. She told the parents that the President has been coaching daughter Sasha's basketball team.

"He hasn't missed a game," Mrs. Obama said. "I think he was hoping to get this weekend off, but I'm gone," she added.

She also said that every night her husband is in town, the family has dinner at 6:30pm.

"Every meeting stops at 6:30," Mrs. Obama said.

To make the point that sometimes kids don't think that what their parents do is cool and it's better to let them discover things for themselves, Mrs. Obama told a story about Sasha that this writer in the past has also heard Kass and other White House chefs re-tell at events. It's a go-to White House story at this point.

Mrs. Obama's version at the Olive Garden went like this: One day, Sasha came home from school, and told her mother that at school they have the best tomatoes, called "hair" tomatoes. "You mean heirloom tomatoes?" Mrs. Obama finally asked; Sasha said yes. Mother explained to child that heirloom tomatoes grow in the Kitchen Garden, to which she said Sasha replied, "No, Mom, ours is much better."

Mrs. Obama also talked about how childrens' palates can become accustomed to healthier food, citing daughter Malia's taste for sugary juices. When Mrs. Obama asked Malia to cut her juice in half with water, she did, and then began to dilute it even further. At one point, Malia tasted undiluted juice and told her mom she didn't like it because it tasted too sweet and strong.

At the end of the dinner, Mrs. Obama talked about the success she's had in rounding up private sector commitments for her campaign, in particular the Walmart partnership. She focused on the power of consumers in getting businesses to change and adapt to the demand for healthier and fresher foods.

Before she departed the Olive Garden, Mrs. Obama signed autographs and greeted the team of chefs. Some of her guests' kids and spouses were allowed in to take photos with the First Lady.
Curious onlookers also filled the parking lot, mesmerized by the sight of the motorcade and the police blockade. Many comments were overheard by this writer about the snipers positioned on the roofs of the surrounding buildings in the shopping mall.

"She was very down to earth," guest Breedlove, 48, said of Mrs. Obama after the dinner. Hogan, 38, the PTA mother of three, used the same phrase.

"I was thrilled," Breedlove said, adding that she wanted to "run around and around and around" the dinner table.

"She is inspiring."

Mrs. Obama joined Top Chef stars and Dallas Cowboy stars on Friday morning in Dallas for an event focusing on school lunches before traveling to Florida for the four final events for the tour, which included the keynote address of the tour at Northland, a Church Distributed in Longwood. Thursday's dinner won't be her last with new friends: She is scheduled to join the President for the third "Dinner with Barack" event, the "Dinner with Barack and Michelle" fundraiser that was held by Obama for America during the last fiscal quarter of 2011. The Let's Move! dinner was a good dress rehearsal.

Mrs. Obama's 2011 celebration for the one year anniversary of the Let's Move! campaign was a comparatively simple day trip to Atlanta, Georgia; the 2012 election was at the time a much more distant point on the event horizon.

In addition to Kass, the aides accompanying Mrs. Obama on the three-day tour include her Chief of Staff, Tina Tchen; top Domestic Policy Advisor, Jocelyn Frye; Communications Director, Kristina Schake; and Press Secretary Hannah August, among others. Members of the White House new media team and photographers are capturing the action. (Above: The First Lady's place setting and the special menu)

CLICK HERE for all posts about the First Lady's tour for the second anniversary of the Let's Move! campaign.

*Walmart note: The company claims to have "saved" shoppers $1.1 billion over the last year in service to Let's Move!, according to Executive Vice President for Corporate Affairs Leslie Dach.

Information: The Olive Garden Mrs. Obama visited was at 9333 Rain Lily Trail, Fort Worth, Texas. Phone: (817) 750-0800.

*Top photo by Chuck Kennedy/White House; others by Eddie Gehman Kohan/Obama Foodorama

Walmart Gives A Progress Report On Commitments To The Let's Move! Campaign

First Lady hails America's largest grocer for "milestone" achievement; "Great For You" icon unveiled, nutrition grants announced...
Walmart executives on Tuesday held a news conference in Washington, DC, to announce the progress that has been made on the company's "Healthy Food Charter,"* a series of pledges to support First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! campaign, first announced in January of 2011. With 3,800 US stores and 140 million customers weekly, Walmart is the largest private-sector partner for Let's Move!. Mrs. Obama joined company executives when they first announced their commitment last year, but today issued a written statement rather than making a personal appearance. Instead, Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives Sam Kass was on hand. As part of the Nutrition Charter pledge, Walmart unveiled a new "Great For You" icon, a front-of-package graphic which will eventually appear on many products. The company also said it has saved customers more than $1.1 on fruit and vegetables. (The new icon, above)

"I believe this Charter is a huge victory for folks all across this country," Mrs. Obama said in 2011 when Walmart first made its pledges. These included reformulating packaged food to reduce sodium and added sugars and eliminate industrially produced fats by 2015; dropping the price of healthier foods, including fruits and vegetables, and reducing the price premium on "better-for-you" food products; building or revamping markets in areas identified by USDA as food deserts; creating the front-of-pack graphic that will appear on "healthier foods;" and increasing charitable support for nutrition education programs. (Above: Mrs. Obama in 2011 at the Charter announcement)

During today's news conference, Leslie Dach, executive vice president of corporate affairs, praised Mrs. Obama for her leadership in making healthy food more accessible and affordable.

"She reminded us to keep our focus on the most important table in America, the kitchen table," Dach said.

Walmart's new graphic icon, which contains no printed nutrition information, is designed to be a fast and easy way for busy shoppers to identify "healthy" foods. By April, the icon will begin appearing on the labels of "healthy foods" from the company's private label Great Value and Marketside lines of food products, Dach said. It will also appear on fresh and packaged fruits and vegetables and dairy products. Shoppers can find actual nutrition information about the products carrying the icon on the Walmart website www.walmartgreatforyou.com.

The company said 20 to 25 percent of its Great Value brand foods meet the criteria for the new seal, though it didn't say how many products will carry it.

"The healthy seal will be another tool for parents to identify the best products for their kids," Mrs. Obama said in her statement. "Giving parents the information they need to make healthy choices is a key piece of solving childhood obesity."

Products with the icon "must meet rigorous nutrition criteria informed by the latest nutrition science and authoritative guidance from the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Institute of Medicine," according to Walmart. The icon was "developed in consultation with food and nutrition experts from the public and private sectors as well as leading health organizations."

Products "must contain at least a certain amount of healthy ingredients, such as whole grains, lean meats, low-fat milk and dairy products, and fruits and vegetables. And it must contain no more than a certain amount of total fat, trans and saturated fats, sodium and added sugars," Dach said.

So far, Walmart has reformulated 165 products in its private label line of thousands of food products to meet its pledges to reduce sugar, salt, and fat. As examples, there has been an average of 15% sodium reduction in Great Value canned vegetables, according to Dach, and Great Value ketchup has a sodium reduction of 15%.

Walmart pledged in 2011 to open between 275 and 300 stores by 2016 in areas identified as food deserts. The company has now opened 23 stores, and "anticipates" opening between 50 to 60 Walmart stores or Neighborhood Market (smaller, Walmart-owned grocery venues) by the end of 2012. Mrs. Obama has a goal of eliminating all US food deserts by 2017 as part of the Let's Move! campaign.

A milestone...
As for saving customers $1 billion? Walmart has actually saved customers $1.1 billion, according to Dach, "in just one area, fresh fruits and vegetables." Mrs. Obama hailed this as "a milestone."

"Just over a year ago, Walmart committed to save shoppers a billion dollars in their cost of fruits and vegetables and the fact that Walmart exceeded this number is a real accomplishment and a milestone in our efforts to support families eating better," Mrs. Obama said.

Walmart has done this by retooling its supply chain and working with producers, according to Dach. The price premium on more than 350 "better-for-you" items, such as low-sodium lunch meat, reduced-fat peanut butter and fat-free salad dressing, has also been reduced or eliminated, Dach said.

Walmart also announced that it has now given a total of $13 million in grants to nutrition education programs, which includes an announcement made on Monday of $9.5 million in grants to organizations including Share Our Strength, the National 4-H Council and Action for Healthy Kids. Last September, Walmart announced a $1 million grant to Growing Power, the urban farming non-profit led by Will Allen.

"The Walmart Foundation has supported nutrition education programs that promote healthier eating – regardless of whether the people who receive this help are Walmart customers or not," Dach said.

"Today's announcement by Walmart is yet another step toward ensuring that our kids are given the chance to grow up healthy," Mrs. Obama said.

The White House Walmart partnership has come under fire, with critics chastising the First Lady for partnering with a company that is non-union, and which offers no health care benefits to employees (statements from labor leaders are in this post). Walmart also drives smaller and local food sellers out of business, according to critics. The company is currently making efforts to build stores in Washington, DC, and New York City. Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer last year released a study that predicted that a Walmart located in Harlem would devastate small business food vendors and New York City's fresh food economy.

*The "Healthy Food Charter" was originally called the "Nutrition Charter."
A Walmart video about the company's progress:

Progress Report: Let's Move!-Walmart Partnership

One year in: Update on a Top White House Food Story, 2011...
First Lady Michelle Obama declared "victory for folks all across this country" when she joined Walmart executives last January to unveil the company's Nutrition Charter, a series of pledges to support the Let's Move! childhood obesity campaign. Efforts to fulfill the pledges are now well under way, according to Leslie Dach, Walmart's Executive Vice President for Corporate Affairs. Consumers are already seeing changes in stores, Dach said.

The company is Mrs. Obama's largest private partner, and Dach joined Mrs. Obama in Washington, DC to unveil the five-year plan that includes pledges to build markets in food deserts, work with suppliers to reformulate thousands of food products, reduce the price point for fruit and vegetables, and create a front-of-pack nutrition label for food products. (At top: Mrs. Obama speaking during the launch event)

"It’s a victory for parents. It’s a victory for families. But most of all, it’s a victory for our children," Mrs. Obama said.

Walmart is the world's largest grocer with more than 140 million American shoppers weekly, and controls about 33% of the US grocery sector. Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA), the foundation that supports the Let's Move! campaign, is monitoring the commitments from Walmart and all other corporate partners, which sign Memos of Understanding detailing their pledges. To date, PHA has released no formal report on Walmart's progress, but Dach announced Walmart's achievements for 2011 when he spoke at PHA's inaugural national childhood obesity summit. (Dach, above)

"We pledged to work with our suppliers to reformulate thousands of everyday foods, to reduce sodium and added sugars, and to remove all industrially produced trans fats," Dach said. By 2015, that means reducing sodium content by 25%, and sugar by 10% in national food brands and Walmart's Great Value private label brand in "key product categories."

"Our customers are already seeing those changes reflected in the products they can buy on our shelves," Dach said.

Empowering parents to make informed choices about food is one of the five pillars of Mrs. Obama's childhood obesity campaign, but federal agencies have failed to create a uniform front-of-pack nutritional labeling standard. So Walmart has pushed ahead with its own project, as have many major food and beverage corporations and many grocery chains. Walmart's front-of-pack "healthful seal" will "roll early next year," Dach said.

"We've been having conversations across the spectrum of the nutrition community...about what the criteria for a healthful seal should look like," Dach said. "We're running options through those criteria right now, to make sure they work in the real world and that all the products that eventually carry that seal deserve it."

"We believe that this tool will help our customers put affordable healthy food on their kitchen tables and in their kids' lunch boxes."

Walmart's efforts to drop its price point on fruit and vegetables has already started, Dach said.

"We committed to save our customers a billion dollars every year on fresh fruits and vegetables," Dach said. "We are well on track to meet that goal."

The company has announced that it will be purchasing from "local" farmers for some of its stores, in theory saving millions of dollars in handling and transportation costs. Other details on how that billion-dollar savings will be enacted remain murky.

In July, Dach joined Mrs. Obama at the White House to re-announce that the company will open 275 to 300 stores in food deserts by 2016, helping to meet the First Lady's goal of eliminating all US food deserts by 2017. More than half of Walmart's food desert stores will be new, with the remainder being "expansions or re-locations."

"We've opened twenty of those stores already," Dach said.

In September, Walmart's foundation arm awarded a $1 million grant to Milwaukee's Growing Power, to help fund urban farming projects and education efforts in an effort to eradicate food deserts.

As he gave his update, Dach also revealed a very interesting statistic.

"A very significant percentage of all SNAP dollars are spent in Walmart stores, in some states up to fifty percent," Dach said.

The government spent $75.3 billion on SNAP (Food Stamps) benefits for more than 46.3 million recipients in FY 2011, the US Department of Agriculture announced this month.

"One of the challenges we all share is to help people put their SNAP dollars to a better and more nutritious use whenever they can," Dach said. "Even on the tightest budget, we can encourage healthier options."

The SNAP program allows recipients to purchase cakes, cookies, ice cream, chips, soda, and other less-than-healthy foods with benefits.

Dach ended his update by praising Mrs. Obama for inspiring Walmart to step up its efforts to offer "Walmart moms" the best scenario for feeding their families healthy foods.

"The First Lady has taken on an issue that many people said was too complicated or too politically charged to make a difference," Dach said. "But she put it front and center and she has gotten business and government and civil society to work together with new urgency and a new sense of purpose."

"It's an honor to be working alongside her."

Supermarket News this year named Mrs. Obama to its 2011 "Power 50" list thanks to the massive outpouring of support she's gotten from private sector grocers. The Packer, a produce industry media outlet, this week named Mrs. Obama the top newsmaker for produce for 2011.

Dach also praised Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initatives Sam Kass, the point man for the Walmart partnership, for his leadership.

"Sam provides optimism, passion, and a charming relentlessness to cause everyone he works with to dig deeper and accomplish more," Dach said.

In May, Kass was named to Fast Company magazine's 2011 list of the "100 Most Creative People in Business" thanks to the White House Walmart partnership. He is #11 on the list of genius executives, impresarios and artisans who are transforming the world.

Though corporations partnering with the Let's Move! campaign sign Memos of Understanding with PHA, there are no legal ramifications if they fail to fulfill their pledges.

Related: Read this pocket guide to the Let's Move! campaign, which explains the five pillars that constitute the Administration's childhood obesity initiatives. Download the full White House Childhood Obesity Task Force Report [PDF]

*Photos by Eddie Gehman Kohan/Obama Foodorama

Michelle Obama At NASCAR Sprint Cup Finale: "Gentlemen, Start Your Engines"...

Homestead Speedway: First Lady, Dr. Biden serve as Grand Marshals, host barbecue for military families, announce new job commitments for vets & military spouses...
First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden will visit Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida today, serving as Grand Marshals for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup finale, the Ford 400. The race is the biggest prize in American motor sports, and Mrs. Obama and Dr. Biden's appearance is part of the Joining Forces campaign to support and honor families.

Before the race, Mrs. Obama and Dr. Biden "will recognize service members and military families from the local community at a special BBQ lunch," the White House said. They will also invite a military family to join them as they lead lead the pre-race ceremony and speak what the White House bills as " the most famous words in racing"--“Gentlemen, start your engines.”

Carl Edwards of Missouri is the #1 ranked driver today. Edwards, 32, is the only NASCAR driver who is a member of the President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition, and has worked with Mrs. Obama on the Let's Move! campaign.

The Miami visit will also "highlight new commitments by American companies to hire and train veterans and military spouses," the White House said. Representatives from companies committing to hiring 10,000 veterans and military spouses by the end of 2013 will volunteer at the barbecue, which will be at the Speedway’s Nationwide Garage.



Walmart, Mrs. Obama's largest private-sector partner for the Let's Move! campaign, has also partnered with the First Lady for Joining Forces. The company created the video, above, featuring racing stars encouraging Americans to support America's uniformed heroes. The video includes Edwards.

The hiring commitments, per the White House:
Representatives from the following companies who have pledged support for the hiring initiative will be at the barbecue: The Beacon Council, G4S Secure Solutions (USA), Ryder System, Inc., Associated Builders & Contractors, Inc., Google, The National Military Family Association, The Boeing Company, Raytheon, Inventis Group Ltd. and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory.

"This employment commitment includes a first-of-its-kind dedicated local employment effort in South Florida led by the Beacon Council, Miami-Dade County’s economic development leader, to hire veterans and military spouses," the White House said.

*The Beacon Council and their 274 companies will strive to hire 4,000 veterans by the end of 2013;

*G4S Secure Solutions (USA) whose workforce is 21% veterans already will hire 3,000 veterans by 2013;

*Ryder System, Inc. whose workforce is 10% veterans already expects to hire more than 550 veterans in 2011 and 1,000 additional veterans by the end of 2013; and

*BAE Systems, Inc. which already employs more than 3,000 veterans is committed to employing wounded warriors and veterans through their Warrior Integration services.

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2011 APEC: Walmart Touts Let's Move! Partnership, Local Farm Sourcing

White House-Walmart partnership is "delivering results," says CEO...
Global grocery giant Walmart, First Lady Michelle Obama's largest private sector partner for the Let's Move! campaign, put out a press release from the APEC summit in Honolulu, touting its partnership with the White House. CEO Scott Price attended the APEC CEO Summit, and the press release highlights two of the commitments Walmart has made to the Let's Move! campaign: Sourcing from local farmers and dropping prices for healthier foods. Price notes the two initiatives in the press release. (Above: Mrs. Obama toured an organic farm during her visit to Hawaii)

"In the U.S., in partnership with First Lady Michelle Obama's 'Let's Move' campaign, Walmart efforts to make food healthier and healthier food more affordable are delivering results," Price said. "It will save customers approximately $1 billion per year on fresh fruits and vegetables."

"Walmart's Direct Farm program procures directly from over 800,000 farmers, offering higher incomes for farmers and lower prices for customers," noted the release.

Mrs. Obama spotlighted Let's Move! and local sourcing during her visit to Hawaii, with a tour of MA'O Organic Farms, and a farm-to-table luncheon for APEC Leaders' spouses at Kualoa Ranch.

Walmart's drop in prices for consumers due to its Let's Move! commitment has not yet been tracked. The company has also pledged to build 275-300 stores in food deserts by 2016, to help Mrs. Obama reach the Let's Move! goal of eradicating all US food deserts by 2017.

The full press release:

HONOLULU, Nov. 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Walmart Asia CEO Scott Price today reiterated Walmart's focus on contributing to the communities in which the Company does business in APEC economies. Price made the comments during the annual Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit held in Honolulu, USA, Nov 11-14, 2011.

Price said, "Walmart is a strong contributor globally to the communities in which we operate and this is especially true in APEC economies. These include great examples in the U.S., China, Japan, Mexico and Chile. In the U.S., we announced a $2 billion commitment through 2015 to help end hunger in America. In China, we are working closely with the China Women's Development Foundation (CWDF) on poverty alleviation for women. Walmart's Direct Farm program procures directly from over 800,000 farmers, offering higher incomes for farmers and lower prices for customers."

Price continued, "In Japan we are committed to helping with the recovery efforts of the earthquake-affected region. We've committed well over $5 million to these efforts. We have just announced two new programs. One, in partnership with Save the Children to get children back into school, and the other with Mercy Corps to support women engaged in the harvesting of Wakame seaweed. We were also very active after the earthquake in Chile through a $1.9 million donation to provide emergency housing in different regions as well as to rebuild small businesses. In Canada, Walmart donated over CA$8 million as a key sponsor of the Children's Miracle Network that raises funds for children's hospitals across Canada. Finally, in Mexico, our Indigenous Product Commercialization Program, which offers training and funding to boost production processes of marginalized communities and indigenous groups living in isolated regions to improve their income and quality of life, was recognized by the United Nations Development Programme with its World Business and Development Award."

According to Price, these programs and their impact were possible only because of the collaboration between governments, the private sector and social sector.

"In most instances, high impact is possible because there is a strong alignment between the priorities of that government and the private sector. Both the U.S. and China have strong examples of this. In China, we have really benefitted from working closely with the China Women's Development Foundation (CWDF) on a key national priority – poverty alleviation of women," Price said. "The program is now in full execution and is making a big difference in the three pilot provinces in which we are working. In the U.S., in partnership with First Lady Michelle Obama's 'Let's Move' campaign, Walmart efforts to make food healthier and healthier food more affordable are delivering results. It will save customers approximately $1 billion per year on fresh fruits and vegetables."

"We want to be a part of the solution to a better life for the communities in which we operate. We want to work with governments and the social sector to ensure that," concluded Price.

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*Pool photo