HR0667 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0667 LRB104 17467 MST 30893 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The State of Illinois is home to diverse urban, suburban, and rural communities whose economic vitality, public health, and environmental sustainability are deeply interconnected; and

WHEREAS, Certain urban communities, specifically disproportionately impacted urban communities that have experienced historic and ongoing disinvestment, economic exclusion, environmental burdens, and limited access to opportunity share many of the same structural challenges as rural communities across Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Disproportionately impacted urban communities and rural communities alike face persistent disparities, including limited access to healthy and affordable food, insufficient access to healthcare services, inadequate infrastructure investment, workforce shortages, barriers to small business and farm viability, land access challenges, population decline or displacement, and restricted access to capital for local economic development; and

WHEREAS, Food deserts and limited food-access conditions exist in both disproportionately impacted urban communities and rural communities, with urban neighborhoods often lacking full-service grocery stores and local food infrastructure and rural areas experiencing long travel distances to food retailers, loss of local grocers, limited transportation options, and insufficient distribution networks; and

WHEREAS, Rural communities often struggle with farm consolidation, aging infrastructure, loss of local markets, and population decline, while disproportionately impacted urban communities experience underemployment, lack of neighborhood-scale food infrastructure, and reduced access to fresh, locally produced food, conditions that differ in geography but stem from similar patterns of systemic neglect; and

WHEREAS, Illinois' food and agricultural economy would benefit from the intentional development and strengthening of urban-rural partnerships that better connect rural producers with disproportionately impacted urban communities, expand market access, support workforce development, and improve food security and economic opportunity across regions; and

WHEREAS, Educational institutions, workforce training programs, community-based organizations, and local governments are uniquely positioned to initiate and expand urban-rural partnerships by fostering shared learning, cross-regional collaboration, agricultural literacy, and inclusive career pathways across food, agriculture, and related industries; and

WHEREAS, Policy decisions developed in isolation, without recognizing opportunities to build stronger connections between disproportionately impacted urban communities and rural communities, risk perpetuating inequities and weakening Illinois' long-term food-system and economic resilience; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that these shared challenges and shared interests of disproportionately impacted urban communities and rural communities need to be addressed to develop and strengthen urban-rural partnerships and education to advance food systems, agriculture, and equitable economic development across Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge State agencies, local governments, educational institutions, community-based organizations, farmers, workers, and small businesses to pursue new and expanded urban-rural partnerships that connect disproportionately impacted urban communities and rural communities through equitable food systems, workforce development, and local economic investment; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage education, outreach, and technical-assistance initiatives that promote agricultural literacy, food-system careers, entrepreneurship, and cross-regional understanding, with particular attention to disproportionately impacted urban communities and historically underserved rural areas; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we support policy frameworks that strengthen local and regional food infrastructure, protect farmland, expand urban agriculture in disproportionately impacted urban communities, improve market access, and address food-access gaps in both urban and rural communities; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge policymakers at all levels to reject false divisions between urban and rural Illinois and instead pursue inclusive, data-driven, and community-informed solutions that recognize collaboration and partnership as essential to the State's food security, economic resilience, and shared prosperity; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to the Governor and all members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation as an expression of our commitment to building stronger urban-rural partnerships for the benefit of all Illinois residents.