Legislative Document No. 1531 H.P. 1114 House of Representatives, April 9, 2019
An Act To Establish the Maine Food System Investment Program To Create Quality Jobs and Support Farms, Fisheries and Food- related Businesses
Reference to the Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT Clerk
Presented by Representative TALBOT ROSS of Portland. Cosponsored by Senator MOORE of Washington and Representatives: HICKMAN of Winthrop, JAVNER of Chester, MAXMIN of Nobleboro, O'CONNOR of Berwick, O'NEIL of Saco, PLUECKER of Warren, ROBERTS-LOVELL of South Berwick, Senator: DILL of Penobscot.
Printed on recycled paper 1 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
2 Sec. 1. 7 MRSA c. 10-C is enacted to read: 3 CHAPTER 10-C
4 MAINE FOOD SYSTEM INVESTMENT PROGRAM
5 ยง320-A. Maine Food System Investment Program
6 1. Definitions. As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the 7 following terms have the following meanings. 8 A. "Food system" means all processes, infrastructure and persons involved in feeding 9 a population, including growing, harvesting, collecting, processing, packaging, 10 transporting, marketing, selling, consuming and disposing of food and food-related 11 items in the State. 12 B. "Producer" means a person in the State who produces and provides food directly 13 from the site of the food production, including a person engaged in farming or fishing 14 activities. 15 C. "Program" means the Maine Food System Investment Program established in 16 subsection 2. 17 D. "Supply chain" means the chain of distribution by which food products in the 18 State are moved from the producer to the consumer of the food products and may 19 include intermediate entities such as processors, packagers, warehouse operators, 20 distributors, wholesalers and retailers. 21 E. "Value chain coordination" means an approach to food system development that 22 connects the existing elements within the supply chain and identifies key gaps in the 23 supply chain in existing infrastructure or services and opportunities for effective 24 investment. 25 2. Program established; purpose. The Maine Food System Investment Program is 26 established. The program is administered by the department, either directly or by 27 contract with a suitable organization, with assistance from the Department of Economic 28 and Community Development. The purpose of the program is to strengthen the food 29 system, including the agriculture, seafood and fisheries and other food sectors and the 30 supply chain, to increase access to new markets and opportunities for producers, 31 processors, small businesses and consumers in the State in the producing, processing, 32 packaging, distribution, marketing, sale and consumption of food products.
33 3. Outcomes. The intended outcomes of the program are to: 34 A. Increase sustainable economic development and quality employment in the food 35 system, including the agriculture, seafood and fisheries and processing industries and 36 businesses involved in the transportation, storage and warehousing, distribution and 37 wholesale and retail sale of food;
Page 1 - 129LR2124(01)-1 1 B. Improve soil fertility, water resources and the resiliency of working waterfronts; 2 and 3 C. Increase the availability of healthy foods produced in the State for consumers in 4 the State. 5 4. Duties. The program shall: 6 A. Develop and implement a strategic framework that outlines goals and strategies in 7 a 10-year time frame to carry out the purposes of subsection 2 and achieve the 8 outcomes in subsection 3, including: 9 (1) Identifying the highest priority areas for capital investments, technical 10 assistance and value chain coordination in the food system; 11 (2) Recommending where and how private, state and other public investments 12 may be used most effectively to address food production challenges and barriers 13 to food infrastructure and distribution needs; 14 (3) Recommending how State Government, universities, agriculture, seafood and 15 fisheries industries, food-related businesses, nonprofit organizations and industry 16 groups may collaborate to minimize duplication in efforts and programs and 17 bridge gaps in technical assistance, services, education, research and 18 development; 19 (4) Informing agriculture, seafood and fisheries industry and food system lenders 20 and investors of the information collected under this paragraph to facilitate the 21 financing of sectors in the food system; 22 (5) Recommending initiatives that improve regulation, marketing or 23 transportation or distribution systems that enable direct sales of food products 24 from producers to consumers in the State; and 25 (6) Recommending investments, resources or policies to augment or improve 26 state programs, nonprofit organization or industry efforts in building or 27 maintaining value chain coordination and relationships and communication 28 among producers, food processors, distributors, sellers, stakeholders, interest 29 groups and other interested parties. 30 The program shall review and periodically update the strategic framework based 31 upon an ongoing inventory of the agriculture, seafood and fisheries, food processing 32 and food system financial investment and lending sectors; the supply chain; and 33 assets and other components of the food system and food system analyses or related 34 studies; 35 B. Make periodic recommendations regarding rules or legislation to the department 36 and the Legislature to: 37 (1) Establish state investment priorities that support the outcomes in subsection 38 3; 39 (2) Align state policies, rules and resources with each other to support the 40 outcomes in subsection 3; and
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