The Future of Food In Seattle

Nutrition influences health at every stage of life and access to healthy food is a human right. We know that for many Seattleites, obtaining well balanced meals daily is a struggle. Addressing food insecurity adequately must begin with recognizing how serious of an issue hunger truly is and being transparent about the weaknesses of our current food supply chain. We know that more than 125,000 Seattle residents are living in neighborhoods classified as food deserts before COVID happened. The impact of COVID simply exacerbated this, as our food supply chain nearly broke.  Remember staring at bare shelves in our local supermarkets in March 2020 at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic? Basic staples became rationed in our grocery stores overnight. We watched as workers of large food supply operations risked their lives to ensure we had food in our markets. Farmers in our state had to choose between leaving their crops in the ground or rapidly harvesting their products, donating them to those in need as quickly as possible.  A lack of infrastructure was the key limiting factor to these efforts, and it still is. As all the cracks in our food system widened we stared at the undeniable fragility of America’s food supply chain. Suddenly, it no longer mattered if you were food insecure due to economic troubles or your house's distance to a grocery store or a multitude of other inequities- everyone was experiencing the stress of what it is like to live in a state of food insecurity. 

I believe that every Seattleite deserves access to healthy and nutritious food and the challenges of COVID-19 offers us all an opportunity to build back a truly resilient food system. In 2020, at the height of food supply disruptions, grassroots efforts mobilized partnering with large hunger relief organizations and local farmers to quickly localize our food system. I joined these efforts with my work at the Chief Seattle Club, where I worked to establish Sovereignty Farm, an innovative food and cultural access program serving an unmet need for local, Indigenously-grown vegetables and fruits. Located in Tukwila, Sovereignty Farm cultivates fresh produce to support Chief Seattle Club members first, and will expand to provide for a Traditional Foods Cafe that will also offer food items from Native farmers and producers. Chief Seattle Club also prepares up to four meals per day for its members with some ingredients sourced from donations. While this effort is honorable, we took the issue to the next level ensuring those meals were culturally relevant by honoring the principles of Native American Ancestors. Those include seasonal, local, fresh and sustainable food sources. Wherever possible we prioritize our purchases from local Native producers, like the Muckleshoot and Suquamish tribes, who fish the waters of Elliot Bay among other areas and operate a seafood business on First Avenue. As Mayor, I will disentangle the city’s food systems to provide more holistic support for farmers and celebrate the food traditions of the Coast Salish People and local food producers. 

Seattle has always been a hub of incredible gourmet food. With adoption and implementation of food policies - we can commit to building a resilient and localized food system that ensures access to food for every resident while simultaneously lifting up our local food producers. While many great efforts are already occurring within our city, I know we can do better by prioritizing and empowering these efforts with a clear plan that will improve the security of our food system and celebrate the beautiful bounty of our lands. 

Economic Impact Study

To address growing food insecurity, especially in the wake of COVID-19 when this figure more than doubled, I will first conduct an economic impact study and food needs assessment so that we can determine specifically what our community needs in this area. This will then allow us to sign on to the , which uses the power of procurement to support an equitable food system that prioritizes the health of people, animals, and the environment. The Good Food Purchasing Program is a time-tested model used by other major cities like San Francisco, Chicago, and Los Angeles. I am aware that this policy plan is inextricably intertwined with my platforms on housing, climate justice, and even transportation. With this critical data, we can begin to analyze the opportunities for production from P-Patch expansion, to rooftop and vertical gardening, to offering direct contracts with local food producers from the surrounding farmlands located within King County and Washington. 

Centralized Food Facility for Small Growers

Seattle schools and hospitals annually produce millions of meals with thousands of tons of produce each year, but not purchased from local growers. Washington state is one of the most bountiful regions in the country - and yet all the produce is purchased from billion dollar corporations. For example, schools and hospitals don’t have the capacity to chop carrots, so they purchase pre-washed and chopped carrots. As Mayor, I will partner with King County to develop a multi-purpose food processing and distribution facility that meets the needs of multiple food system partners while also providing local food businesses with ready access to their target markets, especially in underserved communities. The food facility could become a powerful node in the local food system—strengthening existing relationships and building new ones. It would also provide many small food businesses with access to food infrastructure to help them grow and thrive. Done right, the food facility could be transformative for Seattle’s local food system.

Strengthen Infrastructure and Rapidly Expand Access 

Every community must be provided with the necessary infrastructure to grow, harvest, process, prepare and consume as much of their own food as possible. Areas like South Seattle, where lower-income residents have a harder time accessing healthy and fresh food will be empowered to expand programs to bolster food resiliency in their respective communities. As Mayor, I will develop public-private programs to put healthy foods in existing corner stores and convenience stores, which are overrepresented in these neighborhoods. Funded by Seattle’s Sweetened Beverages Tax, Fresh Bucks is a program that needs to be significantly expanded to achieve this desired result. This is a program designed to get fruits and vegetables on the tables of low income families, providing them with $40 each month to purchase food items from select Seattle-based retailers. Expanding participation of this program will be critical to expanding access immediately and short-term.

To specifically reduce food insecurity in Seattle, I will improve transportation routes to actually cover our City, while simultaneously reducing commute times. Food co-ops and bus stop farmers markets are solutions that can be implemented within my first 30 days. Zoning ordinance revisions can include incentivizing food trucks, allow for temporary eating facilities, and require commercial buildings that are for sale in areas classified by the impact / assessment studies mentioned above to be offered to designated grocers and local food providers before being used for retail.

Any food program must be designed to meet the needs of every community, particularly within their cultural context and traditions. I will also advocate for the federal government to allow SNAP funds to pay for delivery fees on online grocery store and delivery service orders that are at least $25. Not everyone has the time and ability to grocery shop, so this would greatly expand access to those who live in food deserts.

Empower Seattleites to Grow Local Food

Seattle homeowners should be empowered to grow gardens and food for their families. As Mayor, I will get the government out of the way and support all homeowners and other landowners to grow food on their property. Whether it is a community garden at a place of worship, a small patch of vegetables in a right of way or a rooftop garden at a business, I want to make sure that all Seattleites have the tools to grow the food they want. 

Supporting rooftop gardens in high density areas will also increase accessibility. And offering by-right and expedited permitting processes and subsidies for basic infrastructure if a neighborhood decides to start a community garden will reduce barriers. 

Cut Red Tape to Support Seattle Restaurants & Food Entrepreneurs

The restaurant and hospitality industry of Seattle was hard hit by the pandemic. I want to make sure that restaurateurs have all the tools they need to continue building the Seattle food culture. As Mayor, I will hold listening sessions with restaurants and food businesses and cut red tape to ensure that the City is doing everything it can to support the beautiful food culture these restaurants provide. I know that small businesses are at the heart of Seattle’s economy. With a changing landscape after the pandemic, I want to make sure that prospective food entrepreneurs have all the tools necessary to build up their businesses.

Partnerships

It is the City’s responsibility to partner with local tribes and community centered mutual aid programs to expand food infrastructure needs. Seattle has the resources to provide food storage facilities, multiply centralized kitchens, and negotiate direct contracts with food producers in surrounding farmlands of King County. 

Additionally, we must provide basic food training and education to residents. I want to partner with local education institutions and important community knowledge holders to create programs that help advocate and educate folks who want to learn how to grow and prepare healthy foods. The Seattle Public Libraries would be a great place to begin these initiatives. 

Tell Our Food Story!

Seattle has a thriving food scene and it should be celebrated!