Urban Agriculture Act of 2016
A BILL
To promote urban agricultural production, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Definition of Secretary
In this Act, the term Secretary means the Secretary of Agriculture.
Sec. 3 Congressional findings and declaration of purposes
Findings— Congress finds that—
agricultural producers are developing innovative agricultural production methods and using traditional production methods in innovative locations;
those urban agricultural practices have the potential—
to create jobs and workforce development;
to increase food production;
to support local food infrastructure;
to create new regional markets for agricultural producers, consumers, and businesses;
to revitalize abandoned or underused property and buildings;
to enhance urban green space and improve air quality;
to provide pollinator habitat;
to encourage community engagement;
to mitigate stormwater runoff;
to create energy efficiencies;
to strengthen relationships between urban consumers and agriculture; and
to inspire a new generation of agricultural producers in the United States; and
to realize those benefits, the Secretary should comprehensively incorporate urban agriculture into the vision of the Department of Agriculture to provide economic opportunity through innovation, promoting agricultural production that—
better nourishes the people of the United States; and
preserves the natural resources of the United States.
Purposes— The purposes of this Act are—
to establish a consistent and coordinated approach within the Department of Agriculture to support urban agriculture;
to articulate a broadly inclusive description of urban agriculture that includes—
new and innovative agricultural practices;
traditional agricultural practices in nontraditional locations; and
for-profit and nonprofit production methods; and
to promote activities including urban farming, edible gardens, green walls, rooftop agriculture, and indoor vertical farms.