“Nourish New York”, a program established at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, has been permanently added to New York State law. Governor Kathy Hochul signed the legislation Saturday, Nov.20, during a ceremony at the New York Hall of Science in Queens.
The initiative will continue to connect rural farmers with excess product to food banks in need throughout the state through a state-operated purchasing program.
“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”.
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.
A bipartisan effort, Nourish New York was supported by Democrats and Republicans in the Senate and Assembly. The bill received unanimous approval from both chambers of the Legislature.
According to U.S. census data, the number of people who are food insecure in New York went from 1.2 million over 2 million during the height of the pandemic.
