Local food for Illinois

This is exciting: the local and organic food task force created in 2007 by the IL legislature has released its report. Some solid, concrete policy proposals aimed at 20 percent of Illinoisans' food being sourced within the state by 2020. (This is an ambitious goal--though if an observer from another time/planet/whatever saw the kind of land Illinois is made of, s/he would likely find it absurd that we don't already provide the VAST MAJORITY of our own food. Which, of course, it IS. But circumstances being what they are, 20 percent in the next 11 years would be huge.) From the exec summary:

The Illinois General Assembly can foster this farm-based local economic development by approving new legislation that (1) directs state agencies to align their missions to support this strategy for economic development, public health, and food security; (2) supports the Local Foods Initiative of University of Illinois Extension; (3) Encourages state institutions to procure at least 20% of their food locally by 2020; (4) assembles a team to eliminate regulatory barriers restricting local food production and marketing, (5) creates the Illinois Local Food, Farms, and Jobs Council which will be commissioned to facilitate local farm and food system development statewide. Passage of this legislation will accelerate countless initiatives at the local, regional, and state level to promote community revitalization throughout Illinois.

More here.

Via Windy Citizen user hughadam.