(1) The general assembly hereby finds and declares that:

(a) In September 2009, the federal centers for disease control and prevention reported that no state in the United States was meeting national goals for the amount of fruits and vegetables that Americans should be eating. As a result, the centers for disease control and prevention identified the creation of food policy councils, consisting of multi-stakeholder organizations, as an effective way to support system changes to improve local, regional, and state food economies.

(b) Food councils formed in other states have been effective in bringing together a broad array of food-related government and nongovernment constituencies to employ a food systems approach that facilitates evaluation and program development at every stage of the food process from farm to table;

(c) Formation of a state food advisory council is intended to benefit Colorado agriculturists and others involved in all aspects of agricultural production;

(d) Creation of a state food advisory council will provide increased focus on the economic development opportunities of Colorado's food system along with improvements to agricultural production, community well-being, and public health;

(e) Nothing in this article is intended to impede, cause harm to, or limit conventionally produced agricultural products or the persons who produce them.

(2) The general assembly further finds that building local, regional, and state food economies will create jobs, stimulate statewide economic development, and circulate money from local food sales within local communities. The general assembly finds that building robust, resilient, and long-term local food economies in Colorado will preserve and protect the natural environment, increase consumer access to fresh, healthy, and safe foods, and provide greater food security for all Coloradans.