NYC Food Policy Alliance

Mission & Values

The NYC Food Policy Alliance (formerly known as the New York COVID-19 Food Coalition) is a multi-sector alliance of 60+ food system stakeholders including frontline CBOs directly impacted by food insecurity. The Alliance’s mission is to identify and advocate for public policies and funding that promote access to healthy and affordable food to both respond to today’s crisis as well as address the ongoing vulnerabilities and injustices of the food system. 

Alliance members (see here for a select list of members) bring diverse expertise to the table, and specifically voices from across the food system that have traditionally been disenfranchised and underrepresented in policy making. We bring expertise in emergency feeding programs, benefits access, community gardens, urban and rural farming, food businesses, nutrition and cooking education as well as school food. We approach this work through an anti-racism lens to ensure communities of color and other systemically under-resourced communities benefit from the recovery. 

To join reach out here.

history

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, in late March 2020 Equity Advocates began to (virtually) convene and activate the NYC Food Policy Alliance. The COVID-19 pandemic posed unprecedented challenges for our food system but it also sharpened and clarified the existing, interrelated inequities that disproportionately affect BIPOC and other marginalized communities. Prior to COVID-19, over 2.5 million New Yorkers already lacked the income to afford their grocery expenses with other basic necessities such as housing expenses, transportation, child care or the ability to establish emergency funds. Following COVID-19 school closures (which disrupted access to food for 1.1 million children and forced parents to replace school time with child care) and over 1.1 million New York City residents making initial unemployment claims since the initial height of the pandemic through its initial downward trend, COVID-19 shed a light on those pre-existing disparities and injustices in New York; inadequate income, barriers to connecting nutritious local foods with low income consumers and communities, and racial disparities in our health and food system.

This dangerous situation demanded an immediate response to address long standing inequities. The Alliance grew from 12 original members in March 2020 to now 60+ stakeholders and became an influential political force. Collectively, we have advocated for policies and public funding that ensure all New Yorkers get the fresh healthy food they need, small food businesses and food system nonprofits are able to continue safely serving their communities and our regional food and farm system remains intact, ensuring a more equitable and resilient future for all New Yorkers.

To learn more about previous Alliance policy platforms, campaigns and policy wins click HERE.