Maine Revised Statutes Title 7. Agriculture and Animals § 283-A. Food sovereignty principles

1. Focuses on the people. Centers the right to sufficient, healthy and culturally appropriate food for the people of the State in food, agriculture, livestock and fisheries policies;

2. Values food producers. Values all those who grow, harvest and process food, including women, small-scale farmers, herders, persons who fish commercially, forest dwellers, indigenous populations and agricultural, migrant and fisheries workers;

3. Localizes food systems. Brings food producers and consumers closer together so they can make joint decisions on food issues that benefit and protect the people of the State;

4. Promotes local control. Respects the right of food producers to have control over their land, seeds and water and protects natural resources for the people of the State;

5. Builds knowledge and skills. Values the sharing of local knowledge and skills that have been passed down through generations to safeguard traditional foodways and enhance sustainable food production, free from technologies that undermine bodily health and well-being; and

6. Works with nature. Focuses on production and harvesting methods that maximize the contribution of ecosystems and improve the resiliency of local food systems in the face of drought and other extreme weather conditions.