1、 https:/crsreports.congress.gov Updated January 9, 2017Expanding Federal Support for Urban AgricultureOver the past decade, food policy in the United States has addressed ongoing shifts in consumer preferences and producer trends that favor local and regional food systems. This has led to increased
2、agricultural production in urban areas within and surrounding major U.S. cities. Congress has influenced this shift through various enacted changes in U.S. farm policy. The previous two farm billsthe Agricultural Act of 2014 (P.L. 113-79) and the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-
3、246)expanded federal support for local and regional food systems. These legislative changes, mostly in the form of new or expanded grants and loans, support urban agriculture although not explicitly so. Many of these changes resulted from introduced legislation representing comprehensive “marker bil
4、ls” addressing provisions across multiple farm bill titles, recommending changes to provide additional support for local and regional food systems. In addition to implementing these legislative changes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) implemented a number of agency-wide initiatives to furt