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Agricultural Law in Various States and Regions

Vertical farming is considered as the modern system for urban agriculture and there is a defining agricultural law for it. Because of the increased interest to vertical farming, it is considered important to have a defining law to regulate the management and the arrangement. Urban agriculture refers to agricultural operations (whether it is commercial production or community gardens) with technological innovations. Naturally, different states have different implementation and practice for the agricultural law and management.

Basically, public has set up a number of rules, which lay down guidelines and directions for the development of agricultural law. These rules, which to a large degree are similar from country to country, explain and set the grounds for the instruments in agricultural laws.



California

In this state, UAIZ (Urban Agriculture Incentive Zones) is allowed by the city or a country, according to AB 551 (2013). The countries can make a contract agreement with landowners agreeing on the usage restriction of the land for at least 5 years for the small scale agricultural production.

Colorado

Based on SB 106 (2010), they create a Food Systems Advisory Council with the purpose of developing recommendations – used to promote local food economies. The recommendations may cover regional and local examination efforts to develop the local food economies. It is done to identify policy and regulatory barriers as well as strengthening entrepreneurial efforts and local infrastructure.

District of Columbia

Based on agricultural law B158 (2015), the government provides financial assistance for the Urban Farming Land Leasing Initiative, Urban Farming and Garden Programs, and also property tax

Abatement used for urban agricultural use. According to B967 (2013), they create a working group developing a plan to establish a (commercial) distribution system for the healthy and fresh foods (and produce) to the stores. The bill also created two programs aimed to increase the access of healthy food in unfortunate and low-income areas.

Hawaii

The bill HB 560(2013) authorized the development corporation and housing finance companies to provide incentives used for housing project development especially used for urban gardening programs.

Illinois

According to the agricultural law HB 1300 (2007), the Illinois Food, Farm, and Jobs Acts established the task force for Local and Organic Food and Farm. They will be responsible for developing funding and policy recommendations for expanding (and developing) the state’s organic and local food systems. Meanwhile, according to HB3990 (200), they have set a goal of 20% of all purchased food products by state-owned and state agencies facilities to be local food or farm products by 2020.

Kansas

The SB280 (2015) implemented property tax law including the land devoted to agricultural usage appraisal. If a piece of land devoted to agricultural purposes and the land has been used for rural home sites, suburban residential acreages, or farm home sites, the country appraiser will determine the amount and value of the piece of land.

Louisiana

According to HB840, they have established Louisiana Sustainable Local Food Policy Council to decide on several policies, including ways to promote backyard and urban gardens. They have also evaluated effects of the (sustainable) local food production on the economic development. And then, according to HB761 (2015) enables political subdivision to establish UAIZ to allow contacts with the agricultural usage’s landowners of the blighted, unimproved, and vacant lands. There are still more agricultural law policies that you can check for the future reference.

In general, in the some countries there are systemic problems in the agricultural law and management, including the imperfection of tax legislation,  the laws pertaining to agricultural infrastructure, small-scale commodity production, food production, and the laws related to agricultural labor, agricultural insurance, agricultural marketing, and other aspects of the agricultural processing and rural industries.

Since rules and regulations of agricultural law may change, use this information as a starting place to determine which regulations apply to your agricultural operation.

Whether agricultural laws will become more widespread in future is uncertain, but agricultural law in developed countries aims at improving.

  • income in agriculture,
  • income distribution among farmers,
  • productivity in agriculture,
  • efficiency in the processing and marketing chain,
  • supply and price stability,
  • rural development and the demographic situation,•
  • environmental status, and
  • export, employment, production, added value, etc.

The agricultural law is a very important phenomenon in the agricultural sector in many countries. And the aim of agricultural law and management is to improve or stabilize the economic conditions.