REMARKS
Food Forward NYC plan and citywide food access initiatives
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Rachel Atcheson provides an overview of the Food Forward NYC plan, a 10-year food policy plan launched in February 2021, and highlights significant strides in increasing access to fresh produce and healthy food citywide.
- The Community Food Connection program now funds over 700 community kitchens and food pantries, introducing fresh produce for the first time
- Various nutrition security programs run by the Department of Health improve access to fruits and vegetables for low-income New Yorkers
- Initiatives in schools, such as Chef in the Schools and Plant Powered Fridays, have made healthier meals more accessible for 1.1 million public school students
- The Department of Health revised its food standards to increase healthy food access for millions of New Yorkers in various public institutions
Rachel Atcheson
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Absolutely.
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So let me speak, briefly, about our food forward plan, which is our 10 year, plan.
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It's the the first ever 10 year food policy plan first issued in February 2021 under executive director Kate McKenzie.
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This plan outlines a comprehensive policy framework to reach a more equitable, sustainable, and healthy food system in 20, 2031.
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Since the launch of food forward NYC, the city has made in, significant strides in increasing access for fresh produce and healthy food city wide.
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Revamping the community food connection program has been key as it now provides funding to over 700 community food, community kitchens and food pantries, and introduced fresh produce for the first time.
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In fiscal year 23, the program saw more than 32,500,000 visits and allocated nearly 47,000,000 in food.
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Thank you.
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The department of health runs a variety of nutrition security programs that improves access to fruits and vegetables for low income New Yorkers at farmers markets, supermarkets, and bodegas, including health books, get the good stuff, groceries to go, and shop healthy.
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Additionally, the health and hospitals lifestyle medicine program increases access to healthy plant based foods to individuals with chronic diseases.
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This year, the program expanded citywide, now serving up to 4,000 people with chronic diseases.
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In schools, chef in the schools and the cafeteria enhancement program and plant powered Fridays have made healthier scratch cooked meals more accessible for 1,100,000 New York Public School students.
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And last year, the department of health revised its food standards to set minimum serving sizes for fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, requiring at least one serving of a plant based entree featuring a whole or minimally processed plant based protein weekly per meal type and requiring the elimination of processed meats by 2025.
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These revisions have increased healthy food access to millions of New Yorkers in public schools, hospitals, correctional facilities, home and shelters, and older adult centers.
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That's a little bit on, what we are up to.
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We're also providing a briefing to all city council members and staff, virtually in the next few weeks.
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So also happy to, go into detail then as well.
Amanda FarÃas
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Great.
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Thank you.
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We've also been joined by council member Salamanca virtually.
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And then in terms of the related agencies, each that you just described, with development of strategic plans and monitoring these frameworks, how do we do that to make sure the goals are met in each one of them?
