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House Resolution 22 - Introduced
An Act 1encouraging state and local governments
2to increase the direct purchase of nutritious and
3healthy food from local and regional producers,
4including through Iowa’s regional food systems.
5WHEREAS, Iowa’s Regional Food Systems Working Group,
6comprised of 15 geographically based groups covering
791 Iowa counties, is a network established in 2003 to
8support Iowans who are working together to build more
9resilient food systems;and
10WHEREAS, each regional group convenes multiple
11stakeholders, including farm producers, food
12processors, and other businesses, nonprofit
13organizations, Iowa State University Extension
14and Outreach, the Leopold Center for Sustainable
15Agriculture, resource conservation and development
16organizations, educational institutions, and other
17state and local government entities to support local
18and regional food system development;and
19WHEREAS, in 2011 Iowa Acts, chapter 128, the General
20Assembly created the Local Food and Farm Program and
21the Local Food and Farm Program Fund administered by
22the Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, to
23support the diversification of Iowa agriculture and
24Iowa’s economy through the development of integrated
25local food systems to promote the production, sale, and
26consumption of food grown in Iowa;and
27WHEREAS, beginning in 2011, the General Assembly has
-1-1annually appropriated moneys to support the Local Food
2and Farm Program administered under Iowa Code chapter
3267A;and
4WHEREAS, according to a 2014 report published by
5Iowa State University of Science and Technology, Iowa
6farmers responding to a survey reported a more than 23
7percent year-over-year increase in food sales through
8direct-to-consumer transactions such as farmers’
9markets and community-supported agriculture, as well
10as through wholesalers and large-volume institutional
11buyers such as grocery stores, restaurants, schools,
12and hospitals;and
13WHEREAS, according to a 2014 report published
14by Iowa State University of Science and Technology,
15larger-scale buyers of local foods responding to a
16survey reported increased purchases in local food
17sales totaling more than $22 million in 2012-2013,
18with 80 percent of those annual sales made to just 37
19buyers, for an average of almost $250,000 in local food
20purchases per buyer per year;and
21WHEREAS, according to a 2016 report published by
22the Union of Concerned Scientists, if all intermediate
23and institutional buyers in Iowa purchased local food
24at the same level as survey respondents, more than $3
25billion in new economic activity would be generated for
26the state’s economy, supporting 16,997 midsize farms,
27and supporting 178,000 total jobs in Iowa, including
2849,000 full-time farm jobs;and
29WHEREAS, targeted government procurement policies
30have been successfully used to spur economic growth,
-2-1increase employment, develop rural communities, foster
2the creation of value chain partnerships and promote
3small businesses, including businesses operated by
4families, young entrepreneurs, veterans, minorities,
5persons with disabilities, ex-offenders, and others
6underrepresented within the private sector;and
7WHEREAS, Iowa has established a successful
8high-profile precedent for using a procurement policy
9to promote Iowa agriculture through a commitment at all
10levels of government to use bio-based fuels;and
11WHEREAS, in calendar year 2015, 1,110,278 gallons
12of E-10 ethanol blended gasoline and 169,951 gallons
13of E-85 ethanol blended gasoline were purchased by the
14State Department of Transportation for use in vehicles
15by departmental and local government employees;and
16WHEREAS, in the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2014,
17and ending June 30, 2015, 883,281 gallons of E-10
18ethanol blended gasoline and 222,294 gallons of E-85
19ethanol blended gasoline were purchased by a number of
20other state agencies including but not limited to the
21Department of Administrative Services, the Department
22of Public Safety, the Department of Corrections, and
23the Department of Human Services for use in vehicles by
24agency employees;and
25WHEREAS, the Iowa Healthiest State Initiative
26instituted by Governor Terry Branstad is dedicated to
27achieving the goal of making Iowa the healthiest state
28in the nation;and
29WHEREAS, government procurement preferences focused
30on small local food producers will have ancillary
-3-1benefits, such as increasing the availability of
2fresher and healthier foods; improving nutrition
3among populations vulnerable to diabetes, obesity, and
4other chronic health conditions; reducing negative
5impacts associated with soil erosion and water
6pollution; as well as diminishing the use of energy
7resources associated with damaging climate impacts;NOW
8THEREFORE,
9BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
10That the House of Representatives strongly encourages
11universities under the direction of the State Board of
12Regents to increase the direct purchase of nutritious
13and healthy food from local and regional producers,
14including through food hubs created with the support of
15Iowa’s expanding Local Food and Farm Program;and
16BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the House of
17Representatives strongly encourages other state and
18local government entities including the Department
19of Administrative Services and agencies purchasing
20through that department, the Department for the Blind,
21community colleges, and the Department of Corrections
22and associated institutions, as well as counties,
23cities, and public schools to increase the direct
24purchase of nutritious and healthy food from local and
25regional producers, including through food hubs created
26with the support of Iowa’s expanding Local Food and
27Farm Program;and
28BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the House of
29Representatives strongly encourages state and local
30entities to establish procurement goals for the
-4-1purchase of healthy and nutritious food grown by
2local and regional producers and to become active
3participants in a regional food system working
4group;and
5BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the House of
6Representatives urges all public entities engaged in
7cooperative or coordinated food purchasing to establish
8procurement specifications requiring vendors to source
9a designated percentage of food from local and regional
10producers in order to be recognized as a qualified
11bidder;and
12BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this
13Resolution be sent to the Governor, the President
14of the State Board of Regents, the Director of the
15Department of Administrative Services, the Director
16of the Department for the Blind, the Director of
17the Department of Education, the Iowa Association
18of Community College Trustees, the Director of the
19Department of Corrections, the Iowa State Association
20of Counties, and the Iowa League of Cities.
-5-da/rj
An Act 1encouraging state and local governments
2to increase the direct purchase of nutritious and
3healthy food from local and regional producers,
4including through Iowa’s regional food systems.
5WHEREAS, Iowa’s Regional Food Systems Working Group,
6comprised of 15 geographically based groups covering
791 Iowa counties, is a network established in 2003 to
8support Iowans who are working together to build more
9resilient food systems;and
10WHEREAS, each regional group convenes multiple
11stakeholders, including farm producers, food
12processors, and other businesses, nonprofit
13organizations, Iowa State University Extension
14and Outreach, the Leopold Center for Sustainable
15Agriculture, resource conservation and development
16organizations, educational institutions, and other
17state and local government entities to support local
18and regional food system development;and
19WHEREAS, in 2011 Iowa Acts, chapter 128, the General
20Assembly created the Local Food and Farm Program and
21the Local Food and Farm Program Fund administered by
22the Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, to
23support the diversification of Iowa agriculture and
24Iowa’s economy through the development of integrated
25local food systems to promote the production, sale, and
26consumption of food grown in Iowa;and
27WHEREAS, beginning in 2011, the General Assembly has
-1-1annually appropriated moneys to support the Local Food
2and Farm Program administered under Iowa Code chapter
3267A;and
4WHEREAS, according to a 2014 report published by
5Iowa State University of Science and Technology, Iowa
6farmers responding to a survey reported a more than 23
7percent year-over-year increase in food sales through
8direct-to-consumer transactions such as farmers’
9markets and community-supported agriculture, as well
10as through wholesalers and large-volume institutional
11buyers such as grocery stores, restaurants, schools,
12and hospitals;and
13WHEREAS, according to a 2014 report published
14by Iowa State University of Science and Technology,
15larger-scale buyers of local foods responding to a
16survey reported increased purchases in local food
17sales totaling more than $22 million in 2012-2013,
18with 80 percent of those annual sales made to just 37
19buyers, for an average of almost $250,000 in local food
20purchases per buyer per year;and
21WHEREAS, according to a 2016 report published by
22the Union of Concerned Scientists, if all intermediate
23and institutional buyers in Iowa purchased local food
24at the same level as survey respondents, more than $3
25billion in new economic activity would be generated for
26the state’s economy, supporting 16,997 midsize farms,
27and supporting 178,000 total jobs in Iowa, including
2849,000 full-time farm jobs;and
29WHEREAS, targeted government procurement policies
30have been successfully used to spur economic growth,
-2-1increase employment, develop rural communities, foster
2the creation of value chain partnerships and promote
3small businesses, including businesses operated by
4families, young entrepreneurs, veterans, minorities,
5persons with disabilities, ex-offenders, and others
6underrepresented within the private sector;and
7WHEREAS, Iowa has established a successful
8high-profile precedent for using a procurement policy
9to promote Iowa agriculture through a commitment at all
10levels of government to use bio-based fuels;and
11WHEREAS, in calendar year 2015, 1,110,278 gallons
12of E-10 ethanol blended gasoline and 169,951 gallons
13of E-85 ethanol blended gasoline were purchased by the
14State Department of Transportation for use in vehicles
15by departmental and local government employees;and
16WHEREAS, in the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2014,
17and ending June 30, 2015, 883,281 gallons of E-10
18ethanol blended gasoline and 222,294 gallons of E-85
19ethanol blended gasoline were purchased by a number of
20other state agencies including but not limited to the
21Department of Administrative Services, the Department
22of Public Safety, the Department of Corrections, and
23the Department of Human Services for use in vehicles by
24agency employees;and
25WHEREAS, the Iowa Healthiest State Initiative
26instituted by Governor Terry Branstad is dedicated to
27achieving the goal of making Iowa the healthiest state
28in the nation;and
29WHEREAS, government procurement preferences focused
30on small local food producers will have ancillary
-3-1benefits, such as increasing the availability of
2fresher and healthier foods; improving nutrition
3among populations vulnerable to diabetes, obesity, and
4other chronic health conditions; reducing negative
5impacts associated with soil erosion and water
6pollution; as well as diminishing the use of energy
7resources associated with damaging climate impacts;NOW
8THEREFORE,
9BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
10That the House of Representatives strongly encourages
11universities under the direction of the State Board of
12Regents to increase the direct purchase of nutritious
13and healthy food from local and regional producers,
14including through food hubs created with the support of
15Iowa’s expanding Local Food and Farm Program;and
16BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the House of
17Representatives strongly encourages other state and
18local government entities including the Department
19of Administrative Services and agencies purchasing
20through that department, the Department for the Blind,
21community colleges, and the Department of Corrections
22and associated institutions, as well as counties,
23cities, and public schools to increase the direct
24purchase of nutritious and healthy food from local and
25regional producers, including through food hubs created
26with the support of Iowa’s expanding Local Food and
27Farm Program;and
28BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the House of
29Representatives strongly encourages state and local
30entities to establish procurement goals for the
-4-1purchase of healthy and nutritious food grown by
2local and regional producers and to become active
3participants in a regional food system working
4group;and
5BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the House of
6Representatives urges all public entities engaged in
7cooperative or coordinated food purchasing to establish
8procurement specifications requiring vendors to source
9a designated percentage of food from local and regional
10producers in order to be recognized as a qualified
11bidder;and
12BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this
13Resolution be sent to the Governor, the President
14of the State Board of Regents, the Director of the
15Department of Administrative Services, the Director
16of the Department for the Blind, the Director of
17the Department of Education, the Iowa Association
18of Community College Trustees, the Director of the
19Department of Corrections, the Iowa State Association
20of Counties, and the Iowa League of Cities.
-5-da/rj