Resolve, To End Hunger in Maine by 2030
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 1159
Committee: Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry
Sponsors: HICKMAN, JACKSON, GIDEON, KRYZAK, MAXMIN, PLUECKER, ROBERTS-LOVELL, STROM, TALBOT ROSS, MOORE

Legislative Document
No. 1159
H.P. 848
House of Representatives, March 7, 2019
Resolve, To End Hunger in Maine by 2030
Reference to the Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry suggested and 
ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative HICKMAN of Winthrop.
Cosponsored by President JACKSON of Aroostook and
Representatives: Speaker GIDEON of Freeport, KRYZAK of Acton, MAXMIN of Nobleboro, 
PLUECKER of Warren, ROBERTS-LOVELL of South Berwick, STROM of Pittsfield, 
TALBOT ROSS of Portland, Senator: MOORE of Washington.
Preamble. Whereas, the Legislature finds that, for the economic and social well-
being of the people of the State, all people must be free from hunger, food insecurity, 
malnutrition, starvation or endangerment of life from scarcity of or lack of access to 
nourishing and culturally appropriate food; and
Whereas, the human, social and economic costs of hunger, food insecurity and 
malnutrition to the State are enormous and far reaching, leading to lost productivity, 
health-related problems, reduced well-being, decreased learning ability, reduced 
fulfilment of human potential and social and political unrest that undermines 
development efforts; and
Whereas, one in 4 children in Maine goes to bed hungry every night, 37% of the 
Maine people who face hunger, food insecurity or malnutrition do not qualify for any 
public assistance and Maine ranks first in New England and 9th in the nation for food 
insecurity; and
Whereas, many emergency food relief sites in the State regularly lack fresh fruits 
and vegetables and other nutrient-dense foods for residents struggling with hunger, food 
insecurity or malnutrition; and
Whereas, for the consumer, producer and the environment, the cost of food 
produced by and for the global industrial food system has risen in the last decade; and
Whereas, 90% of the food Maine people consume is imported from elsewhere; and
Whereas, Maine has all the natural resources and hard-working, self-reliant people 
to grow, catch, harvest and process enough food to reduce imports and provide the people 
of the State with a diet based more on Maine-produced foods and yet state food policy to 
date has not significantly reduced hunger, food insecurity or malnutrition for the people 
of the State; now, therefore, be it
Sec. 1.  Plan to eliminate hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition in the 
State.  Resolved:  That the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, in 
consultation and collaboration with interested parties and stakeholders, including, but not 
limited to, statewide and community-based advocacy and emergency food relief 
organizations and nonprofit organizations, financial institutions, private foundations, 
interfaith religious councils, farmers, persons who fish commercially, food producers, 
state and local granges, civic organizations, regional, local and community food policy 
councils and people who struggle with hunger, food insecurity or malnutrition, shall 
collaborate with the Department of Marine Resources, the Department of Inland Fisheries 
and Wildlife, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Labor, 
the Department of Economic and Community Development, the Department of 
Education, the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management, Bureau of 
Maine Veterans' Services and the University of Maine Cooperative Extension to develop 
a comprehensive strategic plan to eliminate hunger in the State by 2030. The strategic 
plan designed under this resolve must at least:
1.  Use existing programs, staff and resources to the extent possible;
2.  Define and articulate the scope of the food and nutrition situation in the State, 
including accurate data and information related to the contribution of relevant sectors on 
nutrition, food consumption and production, food distribution systems, household 
incomes and other relevant demographic data, in order to address the multiple dimensions 
of hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition;
3.  Include any recommendations of legislative commissions, task forces, working 
groups or studies on ending hunger for any targeted population that will prove effective 
for the general population;
4.  Determine any disproportionate impact of hunger, food insecurity or malnutrition 
on people living in food deserts across the State and include proposals to close those gaps 
more quickly as the State moves toward eradicating hunger;
5.  Determine the barriers to access to healthy and culturally appropriate food and 
include proposals to eliminate those barriers for persons who struggle with 
intergenerational hunger, food insecurity or malnutrition and for persons who struggle 
with intermittent hunger, food insecurity or malnutrition;
6.  Balance supply-side policies and solutions such as increasing agricultural 
productivity and accessing markets, investing in family farms, small-scale fisheries and 
forestry and fostering governance of land tenure and natural resources with policies and 
solutions that promote food self-sufficiency, including hunting, foraging and the policies 
outlined in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 7, section 219;
7.  Establish benchmarks and measurable outcomes based on sound evidence and 
analysis to monitor progress, assess impacts and interpret outcomes in order to ensure that 
actions bring the State closer to eradicating hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition by 
2030; and
8.  Identify and propose adequate resource allocation in order to translate policies, 
programs and legislation into concrete action.
Sec. 2.  Initial design commencement.  Resolved:  That, no later than 30 days 
after the effective date of this resolve, the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and 
Forestry shall begin inviting interested parties, stakeholders and the departments outlined 
under section 1 to convene the first planning session.
Sec. 3.  Initial design report. Resolved:  That, by February 10, 2020, the 
Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry shall submit a report to the Joint 
Standing Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry detailing the initial 
design for the plan under section 1. The committee is authorized to submit legislation 
based on the report to the Second Regular Session of the 129th Legislature.
SUMMARY
This bill directs the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, in 
consultation and collaboration with interested parties and stakeholders, to collaborate 
with the Department of Marine Resources, the Department of Inland Fisheries and 
Wildlife, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Labor, the 
Department of Economic and Community Development, the Department of Education, 
the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management, Bureau of Maine 
Veterans' Services and the University of Maine Cooperative Extension to develop a 
comprehensive strategic plan to eliminate hunger in the State by 2030.  The Department 
of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry is required to submit an initial design for the 
plan by February 10, 2020 to the Joint Standing Committee on Agriculture, Conservation 
and Forestry, which may submit legislation based on the report to the Second Regular 
Session of the 129th Legislature.