Act 796: Amended Local Food, Farms, and Jobs Act

Legislation enacted by the Arkansas General Assembly in 2017 and 2019 solidified the momentum of farm to school in Arkansas. The passage of the Local Food, Farms, and Jobs Act (Local Food Act) in 2017 created a local food preference by requiring state agencies that received at least $25,000 in state funding for the purchase of food products to set a goal to ensure that 10 percent of the food budget was spent on local farm and food products in the first year. The goal increased to 20 percent in subsequent years. Amendments to the Local Food Act in 2019 increased the goal to at least 20 percent and expanded the number of agencies required to report local food purchases.