Background:

The Washington Food Policy Forum.

The Washington State Conservation Commission (Commission) convened a Food Policy Forum (Forum) in response to direction and funding in the 2016 Supplemental Operating Budget. The Forum followed a previous food system roundtable established by Executive Order Number 10-02. The 2017 - 2019 Biennial Operating Budget contained a proviso to continue the work of the Forum. As required by the proviso, the Forum submitted recommendations to the Legislature in June 2019.

The Forum’s recommendations addressed the following topics:

coordination with and among local food policy entities;
food insecurity;
agricultural land protection and availability;
transportation and related infrastructure;
alleviating barriers to small and medium scale farmers accessing markets , including institutional purchasing;
rural economic development including next-generation farming; and
impacts of climate change.

Summary of Bill:

The Washington Food Policy Forum (Forum) is established as a public-private partnership with the purpose of developing recommendations to advance the following food system goals:

to increase the availability of Washington-grown foods throughout the state;
to expand and promote programs that bring healthy and nutritious Washington-grown foods to Washington residents;
to examine ways to encourage retention of an adequate number of farmers for small and mid-scale farms, meet the educational needs for the next generation of farmers, and provide for the continued economic viability of Washington food production, processing, and distribution in the state;
to reduce food insecurity and hunger in the state; and
to identify ways to improve coordination and communication among city, county, regional, and state food policy entities and communication between these entities and state agencies.

Recommendations of the Forum must consider, but not be limited to, ways in which the goals identified above may be achieved through the following:

increased collaboration and communication between local, state, and federal governments and agencies;
innovative public-private partnerships that can leverage private and public market influence, such as through institutional purchasing and contracts;
improvements to state or federal laws or regulations or funding relevant to the small and mid-scale farming interactions with the food system and food security in the state;
improvements in state or federal program implementation relevant to small and mid-scale farming interactions with the food system and food security in the state;
identification of additional federal, state, local, and private investments needed to accomplish the recommendations; and
defining and describing the variety of agriculture in the state utilizing farm acreage, farm business type, crop and agricultural product type, and defining what the term "local" means in the context of food production and distribution.

In developing its recommendations, the Forum:

must coordinate with appropriate local, state, and federal agencies, tribes, and nongovernmental organizations to avoid duplication of effort;
must solicit public input through public hearings or informational sessions;
may conduct research and analysis as needed within financial resources available to the Forum; and
may form an advisory committee or committees to address issues identified by the Forum and that are within the Forum's goals, as requiring additional study or particular expertise.

The directors of the Washington State Conservation Commission (Commission) and the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) are responsible for appointing members of the Forum and no appointment may be made unless each director concurs in the appointment. In making appointments, the directors must attempt to ensure a diversity of knowledge, experience, and perspectives reflecting the issues to be addressed by the Forum including, but not limited to:

state and federal government employees, including academia;
related nonprofit and community organizations; and
the food industry, including food production, processing, distribution, marketing, and retail sales.

A majority of the participating members appointed by the directors must appoint an administrative chair for the Forum.

In addition to members appointed by the directors, four legislators may serve on the Forum in an ex officio capacity. Legislative participants must be appointed as follows:

The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall appoint one member from each of the two largest caucuses of the House of Representatives; and
The President of the Senate shall appoint one member from each of the two largest caucuses of the Senate.

Each member of the Forum shall serve without compensation but may be reimbursed for travel expenses.

Staff for the Forum must be provided by the Commission and the WSDA. The Commission and WSDA are jointly responsible for transmitting the recommendations of the Forum to the Legislature by October 29, 2021, and every odd-numbered year thereafter.