At the New York State Fair, Governor Hochul Signs Executive Order Increasing State Sourcing of Local Food From Farmers

 

State Agencies to Increase Percentage of Food Sourced from New York Farmers and Producers to 30 Percent by 2028

Governor Hochul Also Signs Bills to Address Technical Challenges in Farming and to Boost Agriculture Promotion and Support Smaller and New Fairs

Legislation (A.1528-A/S.1723-A) To Bring Together Students to Develop Innovative Agricultural Technologies as Part of the New York State Fair

Legislation (A.2935/S.5526) to Support Smaller and Newer Fairs Across the State and Promote Youth Involvement in Agriculture and Domestic Arts

Governor Kathy Hochul at the Great New York State Fair today signed an Executive Order directing State agencies to increase the percentage of food sourced from New York farmers and producers to 30 percent of their total purchases within five years. The Governor also signed legislation to bring together students at the New York State Fair to develop innovative agricultural technologies as well as legislation to support smaller and newer fairs across the state while promoting youth involvement in agriculture and domestic arts.

“Agriculture is the backbone of our state, and our state’s fairs are the perfect way of showcasing that – that's why we’re taking major steps to support both our farmers and our fairs,” Governor Hochul said. “By increasing the amount of food State agencies must buy from local growers and producers, we are further investing in farm production and food processing in New York. We will continue taking bold action to support our next generation of farmers and the future of our agricultural industry for decades to come.”

New York State agencies currently report spending nearly $4 million on New York food; this new effort would aim to procure and purchase nearly $400 million worth of food from New York farmers. The Executive Order directs the Office of General Services (OGS) to ensure its centralized food contracts highlight sourcing from New York producers. It requires agencies to report food purchases, including those purchased through contracted service providers, to OGS to ensure the 30 percent goal is being met. The 30 percent goal can be reached incrementally, with agencies purchasing 5 percent of their food products from New York by the end of this year; 15 percent by the end of 2024; 20 percent by the end of 2025; 25 percent by the end of 2026; and 30 percent by the end of 2027.

The Executive Order also directs the Department of Agriculture and Markets and OGS to convene a working group, which will include representatives from the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, the Office of Addiction Services and Supports, the Office of Mental Health, and the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities, Department of Health, Office of the Aging, along with other state agencies that purchase food. The group will work to identify opportunities to increase the purchase of New York State food products, recommend guidance to assist state agencies in increasing the amount of New York State food product they purchase, and recommend data collection and reporting requirements to achieve the Executive Order’s goals.

The Executive Order also encourages county and municipal governments, as well as local school districts not already participating in the State’s 30 percent school initiative, to join in meeting this target.

In addition, Governor Hochul signed legislation (A.1528-A/S.1723-A), which starting next year, will bring together young people with interests in agriculture, science, and technology at the New York State Fair to develop innovative solutions to problems facing agriculture and food production. Technological advancements in farming have already drastically changed the agricultural industry and will likely continue to do so, and this will help spur interest and curiosity from young innovators and inventors into the challenges of the agricultural industry.

The Executive Order is a part of the Governor’s commitment made in her 2023 State of the State Address and New York State Budget to increase the resilience and capacity of New York’s food system and to strengthen local economies by creating additional demand for New York-grown agricultural products. It also builds on New York State’s efforts to support New York farmers and producers and connect them to new markets through programs like Farm-to-School, the 30 percent New York State initiative, Nourish New York, and New York State Grown & Certified. In addition, the Governor's recent actions to support Farm-to-School initiatives included in the FY 2024 State Budget significantly raised the discretionary threshold for schools to purchase local food and food products from $20,000 to $150,000.

Complementary to these initiatives, Cornell University’s Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management is currently researching variables that impact the true cost of food with the goal of increasing the competitiveness of local food procurement. The working group will review this research and incorporate it into its analysis and discussions around procurement options moving forward.