In establishing the NYS Food Policy Council in 2007, the Governor charged it with two related goals: (a) develop and recommend a food policy for the State which recognizes that it is in the best interests of the State to ensure the availability of an adequate supply of affordable, fresh, nutritious food to its residents; (b) develop and recommend State policies to expand agricultural production, including locally-grown and organically-grown food.

While the goal of increasing the amount of locally grown food was not expressly articulated in the Council’s annual report to the Governor in December 2008, several of the recommendations directly related to this objective.[1] Strengthening the local food economy has been a major goal in NYC, most recently in a report issued by the Manhattan Borough President.

There are a number of specific recommendations that the Food Policy Council should address within the next year to strengthen the local food economy

1. New York should establish a goal of increasing the percentage of food consumed by New Yorkers that is locally grown by 2% annually.

The State should conduct food shed analysis by region and statewide to determine where New Yorkers’ food comes from and how it gets here, the amount of food produced in the food shed across all commodities, and the extent to which the food shed can serve the needs of local residents.

2. The state should increase the amount of locally grown food purchased by the state and with state dollars. The Office of General Services has already begun to review state contract standards for local food purchases as part of its efforts to implement the Governor’s Executive Order on sustainability. The Board of Regents should adopt OGS’ contract policies for schools. State agencies should be directed to engage existing staff and resources to support and build community-based farm and food networks.  State agencies and state-funded institutions that purchase more than $25,000 of food each year should be required to track and report their local food purchases on an annual basis. As part of this effort, an education campaign should be implemented to educate state food personnel and train them in new procedures for doing business. This might include technical assistance on purchasing procedures, menu planning, and food preparation based on availability.

The Food Policy Council should convene a roundtable of regional food producers, processors, and distributors and institutional food providers (e.g. the Department of Education, hospitals, universities) to identify best practices, obstacles, and replicable models to increase the procurement of locally grown food.

3. The state should expand and strengthen its Buy Local marketing efforts; Pride of NY needs to be overhauled. Most New York consumers are unaware that the vast majority of their food comes from out of state, and that it travels long distances to their plate. Few understand how food is produced, how the food delivery system works, or the fact that a concerted effort to build an NY food, farms and jobs economy can provide additional food choices while supporting economic development and more self- sufficient communities. NY should organize a public awareness campaign highlighting the benefits to NY communities of a local food economy.

4. The State’s Commission on Supermarkets and the revolving loan fund was a good first step to address the problem of food deserts (i.e., lack of access to nutritious food in particular communities, especially low-income inner city neighborhoods). Most of the state’s effort addresses zoning and land availability issues that primarily impact upon New York City and downstate metro areas. Upstate has different problems that need to be addressed as well. .

5. The state should continue to increase its efforts to expand acceptance of and promotion of food stamps at farmers’ markets and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA’s) through Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) collection and other means. This should include creating a state program to match the value of food stamps (SNAP) utilized at farmers markets and farm stands.

6. NY should promote local agriculture in neighborhoods with limited access to fresh foods through new farmers markets, food cooperatives, CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture), veggie mobiles and local food buying clubs (with universal EBT machine access, as well as community gardens in parks, schools, housing authorities and other publicly owned land.

7. NY should promote urban food production.  The state should review policy obstacles that discourage urban agriculture. Comprehensive research on sustainable urban farming methods is needed to identify which techniques scale, and locations are most appropriate for urban conditions. NY should consider creating incentives for edible landscaping, green roofs, and backyard gardening.

8. NY should support the establishment and expansion of wholesale farmers markets and storage facilities in cities.

9. The State Environmental Quality Review standards should be amended to require studying the potential impact that development proposals and other discretionary actions may have on the food system.

10. Expanding the local food economy should be a major priority of state economic development programs.

11. NY should develop a job incubator program in conjunction with an urban agriculture education program to connect job training with the food industry, such as urban food production, processing, and entrepreneurial job training.

12. NY should expand state policies to encourage the consumption of healthy food in place of junk food. Government agencies should be required to replace junk food in vending machines.  

13. Improve the nutritional value of food served to students.  Expand the in-classroom breakfast initiative statewide. Enact the Healthy Schools Act as drafted by Governor Spitzer to set strong nutritional standards for all food served in schools; to eliminate junk food in schools; increase state school meal reimbursements; promote wellness and nutrition education; and to provide financial incentive for the purchase of locally-grown food.

14. New York State should play a national leadership role in the reauthorization of the federal child nutrition programs. Needed reforms include increased fund; universal eligibility, increased nutritional standards; and reduced administrative burdens.

15. As the local food economy expands and as climate change and energy prices forces a more decentralized agriculture system, the need for farmers in New York State will increase. The state should expand programs that recruit, train, and provide technical assistance for new local food farmers. Training, increased financial support and immigration reform is needed for farm workers as well.

16. The state should provide technical assistance to farmers to support diversity in their food production

17. The state should support development of regional aggregating, processing, storage, packaging, and distribution centers. Wholesale buyers, supermarkets, restaurants, and institutions would work through these centers with growers and producer groups to encourage production and market development. These centers could be located in rural communities near farm production as well as in metropolitan areas. Communities should also develop local centers in which smaller volumes of farm production can be aggregated with those of other local food farmers.

18. The state needs to continue and expand its effort to preserve farmland and open space.