While the public health crisis created by COVID-19 seems to be winding down, New Yorkers continue to face economic and hunger crises. Unemployment rates in the city are still twice the national average and child hunger and food insecurity remains 55% higher than pre-pandemic levels according to a new report from City Harvest.
The NYC Food Policy Alliance (formerly the NY COVID-19 Food Coalition) is a multi-sector alliance of 40+ food system stakeholders that came together in March of 2020 to meet an immediate need for collaboration and advocacy during the peak of New York’s public health and economic crisis. 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. Based on our collective food systems experience and lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on our communities, the Alliance was a critical voice in informing the development of Food Forward NYC, the City’s first ever ten year food policy plan.
To educate City Council members and their staff about significant challenges in the NYC food system and ideas for community driven solutions, the NYC Food Policy Alliance in partnership with Speaker Adrienne Adam’s Office hosted a virtual food policy legislative briefing on Tuesday May 10, 2022. As food policy experts, Alliance members provided an overview of the landscape of food equity and policy in New York City and discussed public funding and legislative opportunities to advance food security and justice, including those presented by Food Forward NYC.
We were incredibly grateful to be welcomed by Speaker Adams and presenters included representatives from City Harvest, Citizens Committee for Children, CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute, Edible Schoolyard NYC, Equity Advocates, Farm School NYC, Food Bank for New York City, ReThink Food, United Way of New York City, and UJA Federation. We are deeply appreciative to the staff from twenty three City Council members’ offices that attended for their commitment to learning more about food policy in New York City and the Alliance.
During Speaker Adams’ opening remarks, she expressed deep concern for the rising rates of hunger in New York during the pandemic and expressed her commitment to addressing these issues, saying, “As a Council, we are focused on the policies that will provide not just short term relief, but long term solutions to this crisis. This is a priority for me as Speaker.”
We deeply appreciate Speaker Adams’ commitment to addressing food insecurity and injustice in New York City through the FY23 City Budget and look forward to partnering with her office and the entire Council to advance food equity this year.