Atlanta, GA Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms recently announced the Farm Stand Ordinance which will allow urban farms in Atlanta to sell fresh, affordable food directly to consumers living within residential zoned areas of the city. Previously, city code prevented most urban farms from operating stands that sell produce grown on-site directly to consumers.
“Access to healthy food options should be a right for all Atlanta residents,” said Mayor Bottoms. “Thank you to the Office of Resilience, Department of Planning and others for their efforts to ensure that our vision for One Atlanta includes food security for all communities–regardless of zip code.”
The majority of urban farms in Atlanta are in USDA-designated Low-Income, Low-Access (LILA) neighborhoods. The new ordinance is also in line with the city’s goal of ensuring at least 85% of Atlanta residents live within a half-mile of fresh food by 2022.
In addition to facilitating fresh food access for residents, other potential benefits of the Farm Stand Ordinance include:
- creating economic mobility opportunities for Atlanta’s farmers, 92% of which are operated by women amd/or residents of color;
- empowering local neighborhoods by cultivating food security, neighborhood resilience, safety, and economic benefits; and,
- supporting increased food awareness, education, nutrition and environmental health.
“Urban farms are a key component to establishing a healthier and more resilient city,” said J. Olu Baiyewu, the City’s Urban Agriculture Director. “The Farm Stand Ordinance will foster a more equitable distribution of fresh food access for residents and visitors across Atlanta and expand economic opportunities for our urban farmers.”
More information about the City of Atlanta’s Urban Agriculture initiatives, including urban farms, can be found at https://www.aglanta.org/.