City Harvest Programs
Advocacy
Our Policy Work
By keeping close relationships with our agency network and the low-income New Yorkers that benefit from our programs, City Harvest has a unique perspective on the needs of communities affected by hunger and food insecurity. We use this experience to advocate at the city, state, and federal level for programs, policies, and actions to change the conditions that result in food insecurity and hunger, and mobilize affected communities to advocate on their own behalf.
We work to connect low-income New Yorkers with access to federal nutrition programs, a safe and diverse regional food supply, equal opportunities to consume healthy and affordable food, and economically viable and environmentally sound communities.
We offer testimony to government bodies on problems and solutions related to hunger in NYC, educate elected officials on the underlying causes of hunger and how public policy decisions can alleviate hunger, and work in partnerships with government agencies to expand the reach and quality of food programs.
The goal of this work is to achieve community-based solutions to food insecurity and create large scale change in the food system to benefit the communities we serve.
Why City Harvest Is Involved
Rates of hunger have remained high for the more than 25 years that City Harvest has been working to alleviate it, and diet-related diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and hypertension have become increasingly prevalent in food insecure communities. Now, food prices have been steadily increasing for past two years, putting nutritious food out of reach for many New Yorkers. As the economic crisis continues and unemployment rises, the problem is sure to get worse.
City Harvest’s public policy initiatives focus on the long-term goal of creating a just, functional, and healthy food system that provides enough good food for all.
