On November 20, Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation enshrining the Nourish New York program permanently in state law. The signing of this legislation just before the Thanksgiving holiday, reaffirmed New York’s commitment to providing support to those facing food insecurity across the state.
“The COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented hardship to so many New Yorkers and made the situations for those already struggling even worse,” Governor Hochul said. “The implementation of the Nourish NY program was a huge success in helping those facing food insecurity while also benefiting New York’s farms. As we get ready to celebrate the holidays, I am proud to sign this legislation to ensure our state will continue to combat hunger and provide for those in need.”
The Nourish New York initiative reroutes New York’s surplus agricultural products to the populations who need them most through the state’s food banks. The program also provides much-needed support for the food producers and farmers who have lost markets as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic because the state’s food banks are buying agricultural products from New York farmers and food processors.
New York Farm Bureau President David Fisher said, “Nourish NY served as a critical pipeline getting food from our farms to people in need during the pandemic, especially when there were serious disruptions in the supply chain. Today’s action by Gov. Hochul makes the program a permanent fixture in New York State. Nourish NY will continue to assist farmers with the costs of harvesting, packaging, and transporting fruits, vegetables, dairy products and more while making sure all New Yorkers can put food on their tables. It is important that we continue to work together to strengthen New York agriculture and our local food system, so we have the ability to feed ourselves long after the pandemic subsides.”
Through three rounds of the program, New York’s food banks have purchased over 35 million pounds of New York food products, which equates to 29,800,000 meals. In this fourth round, to date, New York’s food banks have purchased 6,903,366 pounds of food, creating an additional 5,752,805 meals for households in need. A total of $85 million has been committed to Nourish NY since its launch in May 2020. Nourish NY food purchases have positively impacted 4,178 businesses across the state.
Learn more about Nourish NY at https://agriculture.ny.gov/NourishNY.
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