The Local Food, Farms, and Jobs Act (Act) was enacted in 2017 and amended in 2019 to create, strengthen, and expand local farm and food economies throughout the state. The Act requires institutions to set a goal of at least 20% of their purchase of food products to be spent on local food. It also requires institutions to complete a reporting form, created by the Arkansas Department of Agriculture, on their local food procurement budget on a yearly basis.
The Arkansas Legislature defines local food as food products that are grown in Arkansas and/or packaged and processed in Arkansas. This definition comes from the Local Food, Farms, and Jobs Act and the Farm to School and Early Childhood Education Program.
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