ANNAPOLIS, MD—Maryland Governor Wes Moore has signed an executive order to bolster the state’s agricultural sector, expanding an existing commission to improve economic opportunities for farmers through increased collaboration and more business-friendly practices.
The executive order revises and expands the Governor’s Intergovernmental Commission for Agriculture, originally established in 2006. The commission’s aim is to enhance the economic viability, growth, and profitability of Maryland’s agriculture industry.
“For our state to succeed, our farmers need to succeed,” Gov. Moore said at Boordy Vineyards in Hydes, Maryland, where he was joined by state agency secretaries and agricultural leaders. “This order expands a commission that’s been the key forum for Marylanders to develop new solutions to challenges in agriculture for twenty years.”
The revised commission will foster collaboration among state and local agencies and industry organizations, promote a business-friendly environment, and address critical issues such as soil health, food production, and agritourism. It will also develop intergovernmental goals, coordinate economic development activities, make policy recommendations, and report annually to the governor on its efforts to support a coordinated agricultural strategy.
The executive order doubles the size of the commission by adding six new agencies: the Maryland Energy Administration, Maryland Department of Labor, Maryland Department of Human Services, Maryland Department of Aging, Maryland Department of Emergency Management, and Maryland Department of Education, along with the president of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. This expansion directs the Maryland Department of Agriculture to lead a “whole-of-government approach” to reduce regulations, promote agricultural literacy, and create economic opportunities for farmers.
Maryland Department of Agriculture Secretary Kevin Atticks welcomed the expanded commission, stating, “I thank Governor Moore for continuing his strong support of the ag industry in Maryland.”
Before the signing, Governor Moore held a roundtable discussion with Secretary Atticks and Maryland farmers to address challenges facing the sector. The Moore-Miller Administration has already protected over 360,000 acres of farmland through the Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation in its first year. Recent legislative action also includes the Chesapeake Bay Legacy Act, which aims to drive agricultural collaboration, and an executive order on environmental justice to help farmers access capital.
Photo via the Maryland Governor’s Office
