Monday, November 2, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Senator Kerr Ensures Food Supply Chain Continuity Despite Uncertainty
(Phoenix, State Capitol) --- One of the many ways Covid-19 has impacted our lives is through disruptions in our food supply chain. In reaction to the concerns, Senator Sine Kerr formed the Arizona State Senate Food Supply Chain Task Force. The task force met seven times, compiling shared industry experiences from the ongoing state of emergency and gathering best practices for supply chain management in crisis conditions. It also established future recommended actions to diminish operation disruption in emergencies.
"Arizonans rely on the complex and intricate supply chain that brings food from the farm to their table" said Senator Sine Kerr. "Although this system was stressed during the pandemic, industry rapidly responded to ensure the efficient and continued delivery of food, milk and other items. This task force has identified regulatory flexibilities to continue throughout the pandemic, established a communication network of private sector and government officials, and compiled lessons learned to swiftly implement in future emergencies."
The Food Supply Task Force connected government officials, including legislative, executive and county emergency management, with industry leaders across multiple sectors, including producers, retailers, food banks, schools, restaurants, transporters, distributors and utility operators. With input from more than forty supply chain stakeholders, the task force will issue a final report of recommendations for regulatory flexibility, increased regional processing, labor accessibility and safety, school nutrition, transportation, distribution and power supply.
"The main takeaway from our work is the resiliency and strength of our state's food supply chain," said Senator Kerr. "Arizonans should feel very confident that our system is well-equipped to handle ongoing and future challenges the state may face."
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For more information, contact:
Mike Philipsen, Director of Communications
Arizona State Senate Republican Caucus
Office (602) 926-3972 Cell (602) 904-2070
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