Through its statewide network, the Iowa Food System Coalition is amplifying the voices of food system leaders from partner organizations, including the Center for Rural Affairs, Des Moines Area Religious Council, the Iowa Farmers Union, and Iowa Hunger Coalition. We strongly support human rights and believe in treating all people with basic human dignity and respect. We oppose actions that create fear or instability for families and people who live in Iowa, including workers who contribute so much to our state’s food system and communities. Our paramount concern is that families feel safe and that individuals have access to safe working environments.

The Iowa Food System Coalition (IFSC) is closely reviewing the Iowa Farm Act announced this week by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. While the proposal reflects a broad range of agricultural priorities, several provisions directly intersect with long-standing food system goals advanced for decades by farmers, advocates, and IFSC partners across Iowa.

Schools, early care centers, and community organizations across Iowa are preparing to take part in the Great Apple Crunch on Wednesday, October 8, 2025—an annual celebration of healthy eating and local food held each October during National Farm to School Month.

The federal government shutdown has stalled vital work that supports Iowa farmers and communities. Conservation efforts led by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) — which help producers protect soil and water — are on hold. Nutrition programs such as the Farmers Market Nutrition Program for WIC and Seniors, which connect local farmers with families in need, are also at risk.

The Iowa Food System Coalition and partners reject the idea that public health, food security, and economic development are partisan issues. They are shared responsibilities—and this legislation shirks that responsibility entirely.

The Make America Healthy Again movement has gained popularity because it names a truth many Americans feel: our food system is broken. But instead of confronting root causes like corporate consolidation and disinvestment, this administration is cutting the very programs that make our communities stronger, healthier, and more self-reliant.

While the Iowa Food System Coalition (IFSC) appreciates the Legislature’s nod to local procurement, the final bill abandons the proven model from the Choose Iowa Purchasing Pilot Program that supplied both food banks and K-12 cafeterias, at a time when Iowa schools are losing federal support.

The Iowa Food System Coalition (IFSC) is deeply alarmed by the USDA’s abrupt cancellation of contracts supporting the Local Food for Schools (LFS), Local Food Purchasing Assistance (LFPA), and Local Food for Child Care (LFCC) programs. These highly successful initiatives have played a critical role in ensuring schools, food banks, and childcare centers could purchase fresh, locally grown food from Iowa farmers.

In 2024, only 26 farmers, small businesses, and nonprofits were awarded funding—but Iowa is home to more than 86,000 farms.

Developing and supporting a local food system in Iowa should be a cornerstone of Iowa’s agriculture policy. To this end, IFSC has developed four legislative policy asks for the 2025 session.

The Iowa Food System Coalition (IFSC) invites stakeholders from across Iowa’s agricultural community to join the Local Food Policy Summit, a gathering for statewide food system partners, including state agencies, legislators, farmers and other organizations to share information about food system priorities leading up to the 2025 Iowa legislative session.