WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. - July 23 - Farm Sanctuary, the nation's leading farm animal protection organization, today thanked the City of Chicago for passing the nation's first ever Green Food Resolution, urging that sustainable plant-based food be made readily available to all the city's residents, and signaling a milestone first victory in Farm Sanctuary's campaign to introduce Green Food Resolutions in cities across the U.S.

The precedent-setting vote took place Tuesday after Alderman Margaret Laurino of the 39th Ward, presented the groundbreaking resolution before the City Council's Committee on Energy, Environmental Protection and Public Utilities. After testimony in favor of the proposal from Liz Mills, the Executive Director of Irving Park Carlson Ministries, a local ministries group that provides food for low-income residents, the committee unanimously voted to pass the resolution.

"We applaud Alderman Laurino and the City of Chicago for being the first city in the nation to address head on the impact our food choices have on the numerous health and environmental problems plaguing our nation," said Gene Baur, president and co-founder of Farm Sanctuary. "By promoting access to healthy, plant-based food, Chicago has proven they are second to none in protecting the health of their citizens, the environment and the billions of animals raised for food in deplorable conditions on factory farms each year."

In light of increased public interest in eating more local and sustainable plant-based foods, Farm Sanctuary has launched a campaign to introduce similar Green Food Resolutions in cities throughout the U.S. Through Farm Sanctuary's Advocacy Campaign Team (ACT), advocates are reaching out to their local city governments to introduce resolutions similar to the one passed in Chicago, and seeking wide support for the expansion of farmers markets, community supported agriculture (CSA) programs, community gardens and other venues that provide healthful plant-based foods.

On June 30, New York City Council Member Bill de Blasio introduced a similar groundbreaking resolution for New York City calling for a citywide FoodprintNYC initiative to reduce the city's climate foodprint, which is a more significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions than all transportation systems combined, and create greater access to local, fresh, healthy plant-based food, especially in low-income communities, as well as city-run institutions. So far, 11 City Council members have signed on as co-sponsors.

Earlier this year, President Obama showed support of local gardens to promote healthy food by announcing the establishment of an edible garden on the South Lawn of the White House. In addition, the new U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced his intention to create community gardens at every USDA facility around the world, starting with the "People's Garden," located on the grounds of the USDA.