SUBSTITUTE "ORDINANCE
WHEREAS, all Chicagoans should be able to access nutritious, affordable, culturally appropriate food that is locally, sustainably, ethically, and fairly produced; and
WHEREAS, the City of Chicago recognizes that persistent structural food insecurity is a result of systemic inequities and racial biases within the food system; and
WHEREAS, the City likewise recognizes the need to move toward a vision of "food sovereignty" that requires addressing root causes within the food system of and the intersections of the food system with poverty, structural racism, access to healthcare, and employment; and
WHEREAS, urban agriculture provides a proven tool for improving the City's quality of life by increasing access to locally produced foods, transforming vacant lots into productive landscapes, and helping to support neighborhood stabilization and recovery; and
WHEREAS, urban agriculture contributes to the local economy by generating living wage jobs, sales of food at farmers markets, grocery stores, restaurants, and on-site farm stands, and offering the opportunity for resident entrepreneurship in creating food-related small businesses; and
WHEREAS, reducing barriers to urban agriculture is one of the five priorities of the Chicago Food Equity Agenda, a multiyear effort crafted in partnership with community and City representatives to transform the food system; and
WHEREAS, by clarifying the licensing requirements for the unique business activities of urban agriculture, the City can accommodate the growth of community gardens and urban farms, which provide access to healthy, locally grown produce; now, therefore,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO:
SECTION 1. Section 4-8-010 of the Municipal Code of Chicago is hereby amended by deleting the text struck through and by inserting the text underscored, as follows:
4-8-010 Definitions.
(Omitted text is unaffected by this ordinance)
"Commissioner" means the Commissioner of the Department...
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