Aroostook County and Oxford County are the first two of eight county governments in Maine with unorganized territories that have adopted “county-wide local food and self-governance ordinances for their UTs,” now allowable under recent amendments of the Food Sovereignty Act.

Unorganized territories cover many counties across Maine, and currently account for more than 7,511 folks. The counties include Aroostook (1,936 population in UTs – enacted), Oxford (802 population in UTs – enacted), Penobscot (1,306 population in UTs), Washington (1,242 population in UTs), Piscatiquis (1,306 population in UTs), Franklin (989 population in UTs), Somerset (767 population in UTs), Hancock (219 population in UTs), and Kennebec (36 population in UTs).

People in these UTs can’t enjoy the rights and benefits of the Food Sovereignty Act without their county government enacting a county food sovereignty ordinance that includes them. An ordinance is still required even though there is a constitutional “Right to Food” here. On March 6, Oxford County became the second county in Maine to adopt a food system ordinance for its UTs, following Aroostook’s lead (Dec. 20, 2023, revised Feb. 19, 2025).

Currently, food sovereignty covers roughly 26% of the entire population of the state of Maine and 30% of all municipalities in the state. Towns, cities and even the plantations in Maine have the ability to craft and adopt their own food sovereignty ordinances (food systems), but UTs need a little help.

Dan Davis
Porter