Impacts of The Farm Bill in NYC and Beyond

In terms of how it impacts the day to day life of New Yorkers, it includes the one million meals a day which the NYC Office of School Food offers to families.

Food safety issues, including food inspections and food handling laws, are impacted by the Farm Bill.

Also, crop insurance programs (e.g. disaster insurance programs) that allow farmers to respond to a natural disaster, ‘get their feet back on the ground and continue growing’ so that they can continue supplying New Yorkers.

New York is impacted by the Farm Bill because of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

“SNAP, as far as the [Office of Management and Budget] is concerned is the most effective government program out there. SNAP, on average, is spent within one mile of the recipient’s address, so it’s an economic activator. This year, GrowNYC alone redeemed more than $1 million dollars in SNAP funds.”  – Ian Marvy, Urban Outreach Specialist and New York City Coordinator for the USDA Farm Services Agency

Read more about the U.S. Farm Bill from the NY Times here.

Obama Speaks in Milan, With Food as Text and Politics as Subtext by the NY Times

Barack Obama took “his first step back onto the world stage” on Tuesday when he attended the food and technology conference, Seeds & Chips, in Milan.

“The Italian food-tech initiative Seeds&Chips – The Global Food Innovation Summit is one of the top food innovation events worldwide dedicated to showcasing new ideas and cutting-edge solutions from around the world. The Summit is a hub for leaders and innovators to meet, discuss and build platforms for a more sustainable food future.” 

Hunger in the United States: The Struggle is Real

According to USA Today, the gap between how much money people earn and the amount that they need to survive — what is referred to as the “food budget shortfall” — is growing. This is terrible, especially for our children who deserve healthy food to grow up strong and happy!

There are many opportunities in our own backyards to help alleviate the issues of hunger. Whether you find a nearby food pantry to donate to, or you volunteer your time, you can make a difference. If you garden, you can donate any extra produce you have to food pantries. They are always in need of fresh produce!  Support clean, fair food and together we can build a more sustainable food system; driven by the principle that everyone has a right to healthy food and to live in harmony with Mother Earth and all that she provides us with!