BILL NUMBER: S6381
SPONSOR: BRISPORT
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to requir-
ing the establishment of a plant-based agriculture grant program
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section one amends the agriculture and markets law by adding a new
section 16-c.
Section two sets the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
The plant-based food market is rapidly growing as more people seek out
healthful and environmentally friendly alternatives to meat. Between May
2020 and May 2021, sales of plant-based meat alternatives grew by 25k,
compared to just 9.5* growth for meat. In 2020, the growth of plant-
based food sales outpaced the growth of food sales overall, indicating
an increasing demand and an expanding customer base. Plant-based alter-
natives to meat and dairy are becoming more mainstream each day; restau-
rants are adding these items to their menus and large companies, such as
Nestle and Tyson, are investing in the meat and dairy alternatives
market.
Consumers are increasingly seeking out plant-based milks, such as oat,
soy and almond milk, which has begun to impact dairy production, a cate-
gory facing a decrease in sales. As more people turn to plant-based meat
and dairy alternatives, traditional farms that have raised livestock and
feed crops will eventually need to shift production to crops like
grains, tree nuts and vegetables that are necessary to produce plant-
based foods. In New York State, the top agricultural products produced
include milk and cattle, as well as corn and hay grown for use as animal
feed. If current trends continue, these farms, which rely heavily on the
productio9, of animal-based foods, would benefit from making changes
now.
By establishing a grant program for farms interested in transitioning to
plant-based production, New York State can get ahead of the curve and
provide a smooth transition for small and midsize farms. This legis-
lation would establish a program that makes grants available to certain
farms looking to transition to plant-based agriculture and will also
provide the farms with the technical assistance necessary to implement
these changes.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2023-24: S.9656
2021-22: A.8568
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
Undetermined.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.