At a time when rising food costs and reductions in federal support are placing increasing pressure on families, farmers, and food assistance organizations, Washington state has taken an important step toward strengthening its food system.  

The passage of House Bill 2238 recognizes that food security requires a coordinated and resilient food system to support healthy communities, thriving farms, and reliable supply chains. 

With the passage of HB 2238, the Washington State Department of Agriculture will now lead the development of a statewide food security strategy, the first coordinated plan of its kind in our state. 

The legislation calls for a broad convening of partners across Washington’s food system to develop a collaborative strategy that reduces food insecurity, addresses health disparities, strengthens agricultural viability, and builds more resilient regional food supply chains. 

The need for this work has never been greater. Food insecurity in King County has been rising steadily since 2022 and remains well above pre-pandemic levels. As food prices continue to climb and federal support for nutrition and food assistance programs becomes increasingly uncertain, more families are turning to emergency food providers to meet their basic needs. 

“It was evident during the pandemic that there needed to be a framework to support the coordination between food banks, farmers, growers, transporters, and private food businesses,” said Yamila Sterling, Food Access and Education Director at Solid Ground, an organization devoted to eliminating poverty through basic needs provision, education, and community advocacy. “Investing in other parts of the food system also helps to support food banks.” 

“Each region is very different. Ideally there would not be a one-size fits all model or solution for food insecurity,” Sterling said. “With a strong framework that is adaptable and can attend to diverse needs, we can move forward bringing our perspectives and learning from one another what does and does not work.” 

Toward that end WSDA will consult with stakeholders across the food system and those with lived experience of food insecurity in developing the strategy. With a coordination strategy that brings different partners together, numerous programs across different state agencies can be administered more effectively and with more attention to diverse lived experiences. 

House Bill 2238 is an important and perhaps long-due opportunity for improving coordination of food insecurity programs across the state. As the strategy continues to unfold, you can stay engaged by keeping up with the WSDA’s Focus on Food Initiative.