House Resolution 116 - Introduced PAG LIN HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. BY ISENHART, STAED, GASKILL, McCONKEY, LENSING, MASCHER, THEDE, WINCKLER, STUTSMAN, WOLFE, STECKMAN, ABDUL=SAMAD, SMITH, PRICHARD, T. TAYLOR, OURTH, KEARNS, BEARINGER, HEDDENS, FORBES, BROWN=POWERS, GAINES, KELLEY, COHOON, DUNKEL, OLDSON, RUNNING=MARQUARDT, WESSEL=KROESCHELL, JACOBY, and MEYER 1 1 A Resolution encouraging state and local governments 1 2 to increase the direct purchase of nutritious and 1 3 healthy food from local and regional producers, 1 4 including through Iowa's regional food systems, 1 5 and recognizing the United States Congress and 1 6 the United States Department of Agriculture 1 7 for bolstering local and regional food system 1 8 development. 1 9 WHEREAS, Iowa's Regional Food Systems Working Group, 1 10 comprised of 15 geographically based groups covering 1 11 91 Iowa counties, is a network established in 2003 to 1 12 support Iowans who are working together to build more 1 13 resilient food systems; and 1 14 WHEREAS, each regional group convenes multiple 1 15 stakeholders, including farm producers, food 1 16 processors, and other businesses, nonprofit 1 17 organizations, Iowa State University Extension 1 18 and Outreach, the Leopold Center for Sustainable 1 19 Agriculture, resource conservation and development 1 20 organizations, educational institutions, and other 1 21 state and local government entities to support local 1 22 and regional food system development; and 2 1 WHEREAS, in 2011 Iowa Acts, chapter 128, the General 2 2 Assembly created the Local Food and Farm Program and 2 3 the Local Food and Farm Program Fund administered by 2 4 the Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, to 2 5 support the diversification of Iowa agriculture and 2 6 Iowa's economy through the development of integrated 2 7 local food systems to promote the production, sale, and 2 8 consumption of food grown in Iowa; and 2 9 WHEREAS, beginning in 2011, the General Assembly has 2 10 annually appropriated moneys to support the Local Food 2 11 and Farm Program administered under Iowa Code chapter 2 12 267A; and 2 13 WHEREAS, according to a 2014 report published by 2 14 Iowa State University of Science and Technology, Iowa 2 15 farmers responding to a survey reported a more than 23 2 16 percent year=over=year increase in food sales through 2 17 direct=to=consumer transactions such as farmers' 2 18 markets and community=supported agriculture, as well 2 19 as through wholesalers and large=volume institutional 2 20 buyers such as grocery stores, restaurants, schools, 2 21 and hospitals; and 2 22 WHEREAS, according to a 2014 report published 2 23 by Iowa State University of Science and Technology, 2 24 larger=scale buyers of local foods responding to a 2 25 survey reported increased purchases in local food 2 26 sales totaling more than $22 million in 2012=2013, 2 27 with 80 percent of those annual sales made to just 37 2 28 buyers, for an average of almost $250,000 in local food 2 29 purchases per buyer per year; and 2 30 WHEREAS, according to a 2016 report published by 3 1 the Union of Concerned Scientists, if all intermediate 3 2 and institutional buyers in Iowa purchased local food 3 3 at the same level as survey respondents, more than $3 3 4 billion in new economic activity would be generated for 3 5 the state's economy, supporting 16,997 midsize farms, 3 6 and supporting 178,000 total jobs in Iowa, including 3 7 49,000 full=time farm jobs; and 3 8 WHEREAS, targeted government procurement policies 3 9 have been successfully used to spur economic growth, 3 10 increase employment, develop rural communities, foster 3 11 the creation of value chain partnerships and promote 3 12 small businesses, including businesses operated by 3 13 families, young entrepreneurs, veterans, minorities, 3 14 persons with disabilities, ex=offenders, and others 3 15 underrepresented within the private sector; and 3 16 WHEREAS, Iowa has established a successful 3 17 high=profile precedent for using a procurement policy 3 18 to promote Iowa agriculture through a commitment at all 3 19 levels of government to use bio=based fuels; and 3 20 WHEREAS, in calendar year 2015, 1,110,278 gallons 3 21 of E=10 ethanol blended gasoline and 169,951 gallons 3 22 of E=85 ethanol blended gasoline were purchased by the 3 23 State Department of Transportation for use in vehicles 3 24 by departmental and local government employees; and 3 25 WHEREAS, in the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2014, 3 26 and ending June 30, 2015, 883,281 gallons of E=10 3 27 ethanol blended gasoline and 222,294 gallons of E=85 3 28 ethanol blended gasoline were purchased by a number of 3 29 other state agencies including but not limited to the 3 30 Department of Administrative Services, the Department 4 1 of Public Safety, the Department of Corrections, and 4 2 the Department of Human Services for use in vehicles by 4 3 agency employees; and 4 4 WHEREAS, the Iowa Healthiest State Initiative 4 5 instituted by Governor Terry Branstad is dedicated 4 6 to addressing the nutrition deficit associated 4 7 with the state's ranking last in the per capita 4 8 consumption of fruit and vegetables, as measured by the 4 9 Gallup=Healthways Well=Being Index; and 4 10 WHEREAS, government procurement preferences focused 4 11 on small local food producers will have ancillary 4 12 benefits, such as increasing the availability of 4 13 fresher and healthier foods; improving nutrition 4 14 among populations vulnerable to diabetes, obesity, and 4 15 other chronic health conditions; reducing negative 4 16 impacts associated with soil erosion and water 4 17 pollution; as well as diminishing the use of energy 4 18 resources associated with damaging climate impacts; NOW 4 19 THEREFORE, 4 20 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 4 21 That the House of Representatives strongly encourages 4 22 universities under the direction of the State Board of 4 23 Regents to increase the direct purchase of nutritious 4 24 and healthy food from local and regional producers, 4 25 including through food hubs created with the support of 4 26 Iowa's expanding Local Food and Farm Program; and 4 27 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the House of 4 28 Representatives strongly encourages other state and 4 29 local government entities including the Department 4 30 of Administrative Services and agencies purchasing 5 1 through that department, the Department for the Blind, 5 2 community colleges, and the Department of Corrections 5 3 and associated institutions, as well as counties, 5 4 cities, and public schools to increase the direct 5 5 purchase of nutritious and healthy food from local and 5 6 regional producers, including through food hubs created 5 7 with the support of Iowa's expanding Local Food and 5 8 Farm Program; and 5 9 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the House of 5 10 Representatives strongly encourages state and local 5 11 entities to establish procurement goals for the 5 12 purchase of healthy and nutritious food grown by 5 13 local and regional producers and to become active 5 14 participants in a regional food system working 5 15 group; and 5 16 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the House of 5 17 Representatives urges all public entities engaged in 5 18 cooperative or coordinated food purchasing to establish 5 19 procurement specifications requiring vendors to source 5 20 a designated percentage of food from local and regional 5 21 producers in order to be recognized as a qualified 5 22 bidder; and 5 23 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the House of 5 24 Representatives recognizes the United States Congress, 5 25 the United States Department of Agriculture, and the 5 26 Honorable Tom Vilsack, United States Secretary of 5 27 Agriculture, for supporting programs to bolster local 5 28 and regional food systems development, including 5 29 through the federal Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food 5 30 initiative and related undertakings, such as the Food 6 1 Insecurity and Nutrition Incentive Grant Program; and 6 2 the Farm to School Grant Program; and 6 3 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this 6 4 Resolution be sent to the Governor, the President 6 5 of the State Board of Regents, the Director of the 6 6 Department of Administrative Services, the Director 6 7 of the Department for the Blind, the Director of 6 8 the Department of Education, the Iowa Association 6 9 of Community College Trustees, the Director of the 6 10 Department of Corrections, the Iowa State Association 6 11 of Counties, and the Iowa League of Cities; and 6 12 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this 6 13 Resolution be sent to the President of the United 6 14 States, the United States Secretary of Agriculture, 6 15 the President and Secretary of the United States 6 16 Senate, the Speaker and Clerk of the United States 6 17 House of Representatives, and to the members of Iowa's 6 18 congressional delegation. LSB 6088HH (10) 86 da/rj