Maryland Food System Resiliency Council

Purpose & Background

House Bill 831/Senate Bill 723 established the Maryland Food System Resiliency Council. This multiagency, collaborative effort engages experts in food resiliency across Maryland in an effort to enhance efforts to address food insecurity issues across the state.

The Maryland Food System Resiliency Council is a formally appointed body which meets regularly to address issues of food resilience. These meetings are open to the public and all meeting announcements, along with instructions for accessing the meetings virtually, are below. Inquiries about the workgroup should be directed to

brittany.cook@maryland.gov

Background of the Issue

Food security means all individuals, at all times, have both physical and economic access to sufficient food to meet dietary needs for normal growth and a productive and healthy life. In order for a household to be considered food secure, food must be available, accessible, and each individual in the household must be able to reliably utilize the food they obtain. Food insecurity is a global, national, and local issue. In 2019, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported that 35.2 million individuals lived in food-insecure households and, of these, households with children had a substantially higher rate of food insecurity than those without. Food insecurity is a socially-rooted and systemic issue and has only increased in prevalence since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, affecting approximately 23% of U.S. households in 2020.

Food insecurity is a complex issue with no single cause, but crises, shocks, and stressors- both natural and human-made- have the potential to exacerbate insecurity and cause considerable short- and long-term damage to our global, national, and local food systems. A resilient food system is able to withstand and recover from disruptions to the supply chain in a way that empowers communities and ensures sufficient and sustainable supply of acceptable and accessible food for all.

Goals

The goals of the Council are to:

Address the food insecurity crisis in the State resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic crisis.
Develop equity and sustainability policy recommendations to increase the long-term resiliency of the food system.
Expand the impact of existing food council organizations.
Develop a strategic plan to increase the production and procurement of Maryland certified food.

Outcomes

The Council will produce the following documents which will lay the foundation for the future of food resilience in Maryland.

November 1, 2021 -

Report to the Maryland General Assembly on key findings and activities undertaken by the Council.
Please see the first Interim Report due to the Maryland General Assembly here.

November 1, 2022 -

Report to the Maryland General Assembly with recommendations for a long term structure for a statewide food policy council including:

Please see Maryland General Assembly 2022 Report

here.

November 1, 2023 and beyond -

Report to the Maryland General Assembly on key findings and activities undertaken by the Council.

Additional reports annually to the Maryland General Assembly should the Council remain operational.

Membership

The Maryland Food Resiliency Council (FSRC), co-chaired by MDEM's Acting Secretary, Russ Strickland, and Executive Director of the Montgomery County Food Council, Heather Bruskin, Montgomery Council Food Council, who was elected at the first meeting of the Food System Resiliency Council for a term of one year as required by legislation.

In addition to the co-chairs, the council has three co-vice chairs:

The Secretary of the Department of Agriculture
The Secretary of the Department of Human Services
Dean of the University of Maryland College of Agriculture and Natural Resources

Members of the Council serve a three-year term. Representing organizations across the spectrum of food resilience, the members of the Council collaborate to achieve the goals and outcomes prescribed by law.

2022 Member Roster

Upcoming Meetings

Meeting Frequency	First Meeting Date	How to Join	Upcoming Meeting Materials
Food System Resiliency Council Date: 05/23/2023	First Thursday, Bimonthly from 10-12pm	Webinar topic: maryland Food System Resiliency Council View on Google Calendar When:Tuesday May 23, 2023 9:00AM UTC-04:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada) Where: https://mdmema.webex.com/mdmema/j.php?MTID=m3993100503eaaedce3fe7839249fab0f Webinar number: 2422 671 3758 Webinar password: 22bXWHkpUa2 (22299457 from phones and video systems) Join by phone: 1-855-244-8681 Call-in toll-free number (US/Canada) 1-650-479-3207 Call-in toll number (US/Canada) Access code: 242 267 13758	Agenda
Communications & Coordination Subcommittee Date: 4/17/23	Once a week every Monday from 1pm-2pm during the legislative session	meet.google.com/uyg-xjnx-biv Or dial: ‪(US) 1 620-869-1210‬ ‬ ‪PIN: ‪363 158 414‬# More phone numbers: : tel.meet/uyg-xjnx-biv?pin=8455697191503	Agenda
Environment & Production Subcommittee Date: 5/25/23	Alternate Thursdays at 1pm	meet.google.com/kwb-wftc-axo Or dial: ‪(US) 1 337-466-9034‬ ‪PIN: : ‪218 549 350‬# More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/kwb-wftc-axo?pin=9757661387166	Agenda
Distribution & Access Subcommittee Date: 5/25/2023	Fourth Thursday every month at 1pm	meet.google.com/spr-kzmv-zcd	Agenda

"The Work Group, at the discretion of the co-chairs, may move the meeting into a closed session if the discussion warrants it pursuant to Md. Code, General Provisions Article 3-305."

Past Meetings

Title: Maryland Food System Resiliency Council Meeting

Attachments:

5/23/2023 Meeting Recording

3/2/2023 Meeting Recording

1/5/2023 Minutes

1/5/2023 Meeting Recording

12/1/2022 Agenda

12/1/2022 Meeting Recording

10/26/2022 Agenda

10/26/2022 Meeting Recording

10/26/2022 Minutes

10/6/2022 Agenda

10/6/2022 Meeting Recording

10/6/2022 Minutes

9/1/2022 Agenda

9/1/2022 Meeting Recording

8/4/2022 Minutes

8/4/2022 Agenda

8/4/2022 Meeting Recording

6/2/22 Minutes

6/2/22 Agenda

6/2/22 Meeting Recording

5/5/22 Minutes

5/5/22 Agenda

5/5/22 Meeting Recording

4/7/22 Minutes

4/7/22 Meeting Recording

4/7/22 Agenda

2/3/22 Meeting Recording

2/3/22 Agenda

2/3/22 Minutes

Title: Communications & Coordination Legislative Subcommittee Meeting

Attachments:

1/30/2023 Minutes

3/7/22 Notes

Title: Environment and Production Subcommittee Meeting

Attachments:

4/28/22/Minutes

Title: Distribution & Access Subcommittee Meeting

Attachments:

5/5/22 Agenda

Title: Communications & Coordination Legislative Subcommittee Meeting

Date issued: 1/7/2022

Date of Meeting: Every Monday beginning on 1/10 and ending on 4/18

Time of Meeting: 01:00 p.m to 1:30 p.m.

Location: Google Meets

Attachments:

Communications & Coordination Legislation Meeting Notice

Communications & Coordination Legislative Meeting Minutes

Purpose of Meeting: To update members and stakeholders on any action taken during the 444th legislative session of the Maryland General Assembly (2022) as it relates to the work of the Food System Resiliency Council.

"The Work Group, at the discretion of the co-chairs, may move the meeting into a closed session if the discussion warrants it pursuant to Md. Code, General Provisions Article 3-305."

Are you working on a food-related policy? Please fill out this form link with deatils,and our Committee will consider and follow up with you.

2021 Meetings

Title: Maryland Food System Resiliency Council Meeting

Date issued: 12/15/2021

Date of Meeting: Monday, December 20th, 2021

Time of Meeting: 2:30 p.m to 4:30 p.m.

Location of Meeting: Virtual; please visit this link on or before the day of the meeting.

Attachments:

Maryland Food System Resiliency Council Meeting Notice

Maryland Food System Resiliency Council Draft Agenda

Maryland Food System Resiliency Council Minutes

Maryland Food System Resiliency Council Meeting Recording

PLEASE RSVP ATTENDANCE TO THIS MEETING at vanessa.calaban@maryland.gov

The Work Group, at the discretion of the co-chairs, may move the meeting into a closed session if the discussion warrants it pursuant to Md. Code, General Provisions Article 3-305.

Title: Maryland Food System Resiliency Council Meeting

Date issued: 08/06/2021

Date of Meeting: Monday, October 25th, 2021

Time of Meeting: 12:00 p.m to 2:00 p.m.

Location of Meeting: Virtual- You can find a public viewing link here closer to the date of the meeting.

Attachments:

Maryland Food System Resiliency Meeting Notice

Maryland Food System Resiliency Council Draft Agenda

Maryland Food System Resiliency Council Meeting Recording

PLEASE RSVP ATTENDANCE TO THIS MEETING at Jesse.delph@maryland.gov

The Work Group, at the discretion of the co-chairs, may move the meeting into a closed session if the discussion warrants it pursuant to Md. Code, General Provisions Article 3-305.

Title: Maryland Food System Resiliency Council Meeting

Date Issued: 08/06/2021

Date of Meeting: Thursday, September 23rd, 2021

Time of Meeting: 1:00 p.m to 4:00 p.m.

Location of Meeting: Virtual- You can find a public viewing link here closer to the date of the meeting.

Attachments:

Maryland Food System Resiliency Council Meeting Notice

Maryland Food System Resiliency Council Draft Agenda

Maryland Food System Resiliency Council Draft Minutes

Maryland Food System Resiliency Council Draft Meeting Recording

Title: Maryland Food System Resiliency Council Meeting

Date Issued: 08/06/2021