Bill > LD124

This bill aims to protect the right to food in Maine by making several legislative changes that expand and clarify food sovereignty principles. The bill defines key terms like "food producer", "consumer", and "traditional foodways", and establishes a comprehensive framework for supporting local food systems and individual food production rights. It allows municipalities, plantations, and counties to adopt ordinances related to direct producer-to-consumer transactions and traditional foodways, and introduces the Maine Vegetable Garden Protection Act, which guarantees individuals the right to cultivate vegetable gardens on their own or permitted private property. The legislation also requires state agencies to prioritize food producers experiencing generational poverty or land dispossession and veterans when considering land leases for agricultural purposes. Additionally, the bill amends existing laws to focus on collective responsibility, closing equity gaps in food insecurity, and protecting the right to food as declared in the Maine Constitution. The bill emphasizes principles of food sovereignty, such as valuing food producers, localizing food systems, promoting local control, building knowledge and skills, and working with nature to enhance sustainable food production.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/display_ps.asp?LD=124&snum=132