Fighting for Local Food at the Legislature

Fighting for Local Food at the Legislature

Several bills being heard at the current legislative session aim to improve the health and wealth of New Mexicans across the state by further development of the local food system. The Senate and House will be voting on important bills dealing with funding for farmers' markets, local produce in school lunches, organic food production, the threat to New Mexico farmers from genetically engineered crops, and government food purchasing requirements. Following are links to each bill:

HB 41, Promote and Develop Farmers' Markets, would provide $85,000 to support the state's 60+ farmers' markets. During the 2010 season, these markets generated over $5 million in sales for small-scale producers around the state.

SB 123, NM Grown Produce in School Lunches, would allocate $1,440,000 to provide school children with at least two servings of fresh fruits and vegetables weekly throughout the school year, purchased from New Mexico producers when fresh product is available. On February 2nd, the bill received a do pass from the education committee and was referred to the finance committee.

HB 87, the Organic Production Act, would transition the NM Organic Commodity Commission, which has faced drastic budget cuts in the past year, under the authority of the NM Department of Agriculture. The commission provides affordable organic certification and education for organic farms across the state, an agricultural sector that is growing by 35% per year across New Mexico. On February 4th, the Energy and Natural Resources Committee voted against the bill and referred it to the Agriculture and Water Resources Committee.

HB 46 & SB 51, Farmer Liability for Certain Products, would protect any farmer from being sued for possession of a genetically engineered product if it is not intended by the farmer. For up-to-date announcements about these two bills, visit savenmseeds.org.

SB 63, Government Food Purchasing Requirements, would require that a minimum percentage of all food purchases for state agencies and public bodies be sourced from in-state producers. The minimum percentage would increase incrementally so that by fiscal year 2016, 10% of all food purchases would be required to be purchased locally. On February 1st, the Public Affairs Committee gave the bill a do pass and referred it to the Finance Committee.


You can voice your support for these important bills by contacting your local legislators. Find yours here.