Globally, it is projected that climate change will impact agricultural systems with heavier rain, flooding, wildfires, and extreme temperatures becoming commonplace.33 Those observed climate patterns are already affecting food security and putting additional pressures on the food system (production, transport, processing, packaging, storage, retail, consumption, loss, and waste34). Most of the food consumed in King County is grown and processed outside the region—making the region vulnerable to climate impacts and other disruptions across the globe.
Healthy ecosystems are the foundation of a climate-resilient food system in King County. Higher temperatures during the peak growing season will increase demand for already scarce irrigation water and intensify competing priorities between balancing the needs of farming with goals to restore salmon, orca, and other species of concern. Salmon is a vulnerable species that is integral to ecosystems, economies, and to tribes. At the same time, multiple reports indicate that the number of people experiencing food insecurity is increasing.35
Innovative, local solutions can chart a path for bigger change by showcasing successes and lessons learned. King County is leading by example and can do more to protect the region’s food system by focusing its efforts on ensuring food security for frontline communities, strengthening the regional food system, and supporting a just food economy that can address local impacts.
What's at stake
Approximately one out of nine households in Washington experience food insecurity. In South King County, nearly twice as many people face food insecurity compared to the state average. These disparities are seen even more among certain groups. People with lower incomes and less formal education experience food insecurity at twice the countywide rate. It is 50 percent to three times higher among communities of color and twice as high among individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual, as well as those with fair to poor health.36, 37 These disparities will grow as climate change worsens and threatens the region’s food supply and security.
Climate change impacts will affect crop yields, available crop varieties, prices, and the nutritional value of food, putting already under-resourced populations at further risk of food insecurity and increased adverse health impacts. King County must make significant efforts to address these compounding issues.
A better outcome
King County can take equitable steps to strengthen food systems and food security. These steps include investing in small farmers, increasing food rescue and food access, and integrating food system policy and goals as robust points of anchor.
What we've done to get here
- Established and are currently implementing the King County Local Food Initiative (LFI) —the policy and strategy roadmap to grow the local food economy and make locally grown food accessible to all.
- Supported underrepresented and BIPOC farmers through the Farmland Access Program and by raising millions in grant funds to support farmland access, infrastructure development, technical assistance and market access.
- Partnered to support the opening of the South Seattle Community Food Hub.
- Provided technical support to partners and community for grant proposals to increase hunger relief organization capacity, train new and beginning farmers, support infrastructure development, and fund farm to food bank programming.
- Published a Food Insecurity in King County Report 2023 on the status of food insecurity and providing recommendations for hunger relief and supported enrollment in basic food benefits for food insecure residents.
- Reduced food waste equitably using programmatic and policy approaches.
33 IPCC, “AR4: Climate Change 2007: Mitigation of Climate Change: Chapter 8,” 2007.
34 IPCC, “Summary for Policymakers: Climate Change and Land,” 2019.
35 King County Public Health–Seattle & King County, “Food Insecurity in King County,” 2023.
36 King County Public Health–Seattle & King County, “Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System,” 2022.