Local Food Action Initiative a recipe to cure society's ills?

From these starting points, city officials can further explore a range of more tangible ideas, Conlin said. Then the council and mayor can enact those showing the most promise, through stronger regulations and specific program changes. For example, the studies might lead to more specific zoning changes or permanent land set-asides for farmers markets.

"Those things need to be done by ordinance," Conlin said. "The goal of the resolution is to set the policy direction. ... And then we'll follow up with the specific ordinances."

And a wide range of liberal special interests share Conlin's enthusiasm. Dozens of activists testified overwhelmingly in support of the measure at a public hearing last week.

"This resolution is a critical piece of the huge positive wave of change that we must address if we're going to tackle the climate change challenge," said Mo McBroom of the Washington Environmental Council.

Many of those groups are counting on the ideals in the measure to lead to real change. For example, Jessica Vets of the Seattle Farmers' Markets Association said red tape too often binds efforts to provide city residents with healthful options.

"I'm really hoping that this initiative filters down to the people at the front lines," Vets told Conlin at the hearing. "As a farmers market manager, I want to see some of those roadblocks go away."

Even if the measure is approved, however, the mayor would have the final word. Each of the city departments that would be directed to conduct the research answer to Nickels. Nickels may -- and has previously -- simply direct those departments not to do the work, even if it were budgeted.

"We'll look at it and determine whether or not we can with (the requests) within existing budget and resources," Ceis said. "There are lots of other big drivers on the budget for the city right now. We'll want to look at any new ideas like these in the context of overall (budget) demands that are out there.

"The economic horizon looks a little cloudy," Ceis said, adding that the city is facing a squeeze on revenues and increased expenses, especially labor costs. "We just need to be careful. We're looking at the gotta-haves versus the nice-to-haves."

For example, the resolution asks the Transportation Department to evaluate emergency food supply distribution routes. "I'm not sure how realistic something like that is," Ceis said. "Or (how) necessary, either."

Conlin said the council would work through any funding challenges for the work. Beyond that, several departments have expressed enthusiasm for the ideas and the mayor's office has not shared any concerns, he said. "We haven't had any specific feedback from the executive, so I am assuming they're going to do a good-faith effort to implement it," Conlin said.

"It's just not high on their radar screen right now. This is a new topic for the city to be working on," he said. Conlin also noted that his recent "zero waste" initiative -- an effort to prevent and reduce waste -- started on the theoretical side, with a consultant's study. As with the Conlin's current project, Nickels' office was at first privately skeptical of Conlin's waste-reduction effort.

But after the study produced a long list of headline-friendly and low-cost environmental protection measures last year, Nickels came on board. Conlin now notes that the study bolstered political support for specific policy changes, such as Nickels' and Conlin's pending proposal to charge a 20-cent tax on grocery bags and ban foam food packaging.

Still, the council funded that study through its own budget.