advocacy
Recap: First Session of the 34th Alaska Legislature: Food Policy in Motion
By Rachel Lord, Advocacy and Policy Director, AFPC
With the first session of the 34th Alaska Legislature wrapped up, we are reflecting on a season of strong momentum and significant challenges, and looking forward to exciting opportunities for food policy in our state. You can see all of the bills we tracked and their current status here, and check out the On the Menu recaps for more details!
In February, we joined the Food Bank of Alaska and the Alaska Farm Bureau for our annual Food Security Week Fly-In in Juneau, bringing together partners from across Alaska, including farmers, food access leaders, and market innovators, to meet with lawmakers and elevate the importance of building a resilient and strong food system. The energy and expertise of our partners made a powerful impression on policymakers and reinforced the urgent need for coordinated food policy action at the state level.
Our AFPC team with other Alaska food advocates in Juneau working for good food policy.
This legislative session brought increasing interest in supporting local food systems, improving food access, and investing in Alaska’s agricultural future. Yet without a path toward fiscal stability, bold ideas risk being left on the table. We continue to advocate for durable, systems-based solutions, and we’d love your feedback to shape that work.
One area that remains ripe for growth is school nutrition and state food procurement. These are complex spaces, and there is continued work to be done to connect a lot of the dots for sustainable improvements. We know that many of you are working in these spaces and have invaluable information, ideas, and vision to bring to the table. We believe that by bringing people together—schools, farmers, state agencies, and advocates—we can foster shared understanding and unlock lasting solutions.
On the federal level, 2025 has brought massive changes. From unprecedented threats to SNAP and child nutrition funding to evolving USDA priorities and a dramatically shifting Farm Bill landscape, federal policy is more consequential than ever for Alaskans. In response, we’re leaning into this space, strengthening relationships with our congressional delegation and national partners. To support engagement, we’re updating our website to include tools and resources for following federal food policy and getting involved. Stay tuned!
We recognize the continued uncertainty, and we are deeply grateful to our partners across Alaska and the nation. Your collaboration, wisdom, and vision drive this work. There is hope in community, and power in working together.
To better serve you, we’d love your input on what advocacy tools and strategies are most useful—and what you’d like to see more of.
Together, we are building stronger and more resilient food systems across Alaska.
