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Illinois Stewardship Alliance Sets 2026 Legislative Priorities

  • Writer: Bob Benenson
    Bob Benenson
  • 6 minutes ago
  • 3 min read

State's Leading Policy Advocate for Local Food and Farms Targets Key Issues


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Illinois Stewardship Alliance has run a number of successful campaigns to persuade the state legislature to enact measures that help our local food and farm communities. The Alliance has now released its lineup of legislative priorities for 2026.


These priorities are outlined in the following press release:


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 Illinois Stewardship Alliance Announces 2026 Policy Agenda, Led by Farmers

Member-driven agenda targets monopolies, food access, and farmer support


Springfield, IL - The Illinois Stewardship Alliance (ISA) today announced its 2026 policy agenda, highlighting targeted, high-impact campaigns to tackle monopolies in agriculture, support farmers, and expand equitable food access across Illinois. The agenda was voted and approved by members at ISA’s Annual Member Meeting on December 10th.

The 2026 agenda was shaped directly by ISA’s farmer members. Through hundreds of one-on-one conversations with farmers across the state, member meetings, and outreach, staff and farmers identified pressing challenges and worked together to develop solutions.


"Being part of shaping ISA’s policy agenda this year was empowering," said Christine Johnson, farmer at Wild Trillium Farm in Richmond. Johnson also serves as an ISA Legislative Leadership Team member. "As farmers, we feel the challenges firsthand -- at home and on the land-- and having the chance to be part of intentional conversations with other farmers to help set priorities means our solutions are rooted in real experience  This agenda isn’t just a list of bills—it’s a reflection of what will truly make our food system stronger and fairer."


Primary Campaign: Tackling Monopolies


ISA’s top priority is addressing monopolies in the food and agriculture sector through a two-pronged strategy:


  • Strengthening Local Processing Act (SLPA): ISA members will seek support from Illinois Members of Congress for this federal bill, which reforms regulatory barriers and provides grant funding to help small processors compete with the four corporations controlling the livestock industry.

  • Root Causes of Monopolies: ISA members will also pursue strategies to address systemic monopoly power, including advocating for anti-monopoly legislation or stronger enforcement of existing laws.


Secondary Campaigns


  • Local Food Access for Illinoisans: Focused on ensuring equitable food distribution, this campaign will work to restore programs like IL-EATS, expand access to fresh, local food through SNAP initiatives, and pursue state-level reforms to improve grocery grant programs in order to get more Illinois-grown food into food deserts.     

  • Capital Access for Farmers: ISA members will defend existing state-level funding for local food infrastructure, including the $2 million Local Food Infrastructure Grant Program and the $2 million Growing Growers Fund, both supporting small farmers and underserved communities.


Multi-Year Campaign: Shift State Procurement to Support Local Food


ISA members will continue to work with the Illinois Food Justice Alliance to chart a path for a statewide Good Food Purchasing Policy in Illinois that will shift millions of dollars in state food contracts to local, healthy, humane, equitable, and sustainable farms and businesses in Illinois. This year will focus on education and base-building ahead of the bill’s anticipated 2027 re-introduction.


Looking Ahead: Emerging Issues


ISA is also preparing for 2027 by working with members to research and develop solutions for high-priority topics, including:


  • farmer-driven soil health and regenerative agriculture policy solutions

  • improvements to state loan programs to better serve small and regenerative farmers

  • streamlined regulations governing farmers markets and cottage food to support the growth of small farms and food businesses

  • addressing pesticide drift to protect small farms and apiaries

  • land access policy solutions for beginning and marginalized farmers

  • solutions to help farmers overcome zoning and water access issues, especially in urban areas


"These policies aren’t just abstract ideas—they directly affect my farm and my family," said Anna Morrell, farmer at The Little Farm at Weldon Springs in Clinton. Morrell also serves as an ISA Legislative Leadership Team member. "Restoring programs like IL-EATs and supporting small processors means we can keep our doors open, reach more customers, and provide healthy food to people in our community. Being able to shape this agenda gives me hope that the voices of farmers will lead real change."


More information about the Alliance’s 2026 State Policy Agenda and how to get involved can be found at www.ilstewards.org


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