Executive Order #5

WHEREAS, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services asserts that populations are at risk of food insecurity where transportation options are limited and travel distance to stores is greater; and

WHEREAS, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a combination of policy, systems, and environmental interventions as the most effective approach to improving food access; and

WHEREAS, annually, the State allocates resources and administers programs and services across several agencies including Department of Education, Department of Health and Social Services, Department of State, Office of Management and Budget, and Department of Agriculture to facilitate access to food and nutrition; and

WHEREAS, in 2018, the Delaware Council on Farm and Food Policy was created within the Department of Agriculture and since then, food access and food system resilience have increasingly become statewide priorities that require the work and coordination of multiple state agencies and non-government organizations.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, MATTHEW MEYER, by virtue of the authority vested in me as Governor of the State of Delaware, do hereby DECLARE and ORDER the following:

1. The Delaware Council on Farm and Food Policy is hereby established to develop and manage a cross-agency statewide food access strategy that addresses system gaps, optimizes food security, and improves nutrition for Delawareans.
2. The mission of the Council shall be to facilitate Delawareans’ access to resources and mitigate challenges across the entire food supply chain and provide advice to the Governor on promoting a resilient, inclusive, reliable, and efficient food system.
3. Specifically, the Council is tasked with at least the following matters:
   1. Assuring the coordination of public and private resources that make food resources available to Delawareans across emergency, charitable, and market outlets;
   2. Maintaining an inventory of food system resources administered by the state or in partnership with non-state entities;
   3. Monitoring and proposing actions to minimize the impacts of climate threats, market volatility, disease outbreaks, or other exogenous factors that disrupt the food supply chain; and
   4. Improving the availability of food resources within urban and rural communities throughout the state.
4. The Council shall manage the Delaware Food Resource Connection, a data analytics platform for Delaware’s food resources, created in 2021; ‘Farm To’ programming that enhances direct-to-consumer access to Delaware grown foods (Farm to School, Farm to Community, and Farm to Retail); and the First State Food System Program, administered jointly with Division of Small Business, making grants available to food supply chain operators.
5. The Council shall host an Annual Farm and Food Planning and Networking Seminar for stakeholders and resource providers to communicate and collaborate around feeding Delaware communities.
6. The Council shall work with its constituent agencies to coordinate their respective budget priorities and requests to best advance the statewide food access strategy. This will include coordinating efforts to secure federal grants related to food access before such grant proposals are submitted for approval by the Delaware State Clearinghouse and shall advise the Clearinghouse agencies regarding consistency with the statewide food access strategy.
7. The Council shall consist of no fewer than 11 members to include:
   1. A representative from the Office of the Governor;
   2. A representative from the Department of Education;
   3. A representative from the Division of Social Services;
   4. A representative from the Division of Public Health;
   5. A representative from the Department of Agriculture’s Marketing and Communications Section;
   6. A representative from the Office of State Planning Coordination;
   7. A representative from Government Support Services; and
   8. A representative from each of the following sectors of the food retail and distribution industry:
      1. Community development;
      2. Food production and retail;
      3. Higher education and research; and
      4. Healthcare.
8. Members shall serve at the pleasure of the Governor. The Governor may increase the size of the Council and appoint additional members at his pleasure.
9. The Governor may appoint a chair and vice-chair.
10. The Council shall form such committees, including membership beyond its members, as necessary to do its work. All members will make resources available from their respective organizations, as needed, to achieve the goals of the Council.
11. Administrative support for the Council shall be provided by existing staff within each of the member State government agencies and from the Office of the Governor.
12. Nothing in this Executive Order shall be construed to contravene any law or regulation. Nothing in this Executive Order shall affect or alter the existing statutory powers of any State agency.
13. This Executive Order supersedes any contrary provision of any other prior Executive Order.