Washington State Department of Agriculture.
The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) oversees, manages, regulates, and supports a variety of programs related to food safety and agriculture in the state. Programs include animal and livestock health, commodity inspection, food safety, food assistance, pesticide and fertilizer inspection, and business and marketing support.
Food Policy Forum.
Together with the State Conservation Commission, the WSDA convenes the Food Policy Forum (Forum). The Forum is a public-private partnership that must develop recommendations to promote a variety of food system goals including:
The Forum issued a report in December 2022 titled Land Use Policy Solutions to Stem Agricultural Land Loss. The report found, among other things, that just as parks and open space help to maintain livable communities, opportunities to grow food also enhance the livability of urban places. The report included a policy recommendation to increase access to fresh food by supporting urban, peri-urban, indoor, and other emerging forms of agricultural production, and by directing the Office of Farmland Preservation to conduct a stakeholder review of the opportunities and barriers related to urban agriculture.
The State Conservation Commission (Commission) must conduct a study of urban agricultural opportunities and barriers in the state. The study must examine, among other things:
In conducting the study, the Commission must collaborate with the following entities:
The Commission must submit the results of the study to the committees of the Legislature with jurisdiction over agricultural issues by June 30, 2024.
House | 97 | 0 | |
Senate | 49 | 0 |
July 23, 2023