State and National Programs Expand Food Access in Massachusetts

In partnership with: Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted life around the globe, with food systems feeling some of the strongest, most lasting impacts. Fortunately, Massachusetts responded quickly to the crisis, leaning on collaborative initiatives to increase resilience and tackle emergent food system issues with innovative solutions ensuring food access throughout the commonwealth.

In April 2020, as schools and businesses shut down, the Massachusetts COVID-19 Command Center leapt into action to address the local food system’s immediate needs and lay the groundwork for future resilience by forming a cross-sector Food Security Task Force, including members of the Massachusetts Legislature’s Food System Caucus, state agencies, the private sector and nonprofits.

Additionally, the commonwealth took steps during the pandemic to prioritize equity and environmental justice and ensure food access within all communities through the solutions that were developed. Today, those collaborative efforts continue to grow.

“It’s been really exciting to see the new partnerships that have been built and continue to be built in our local food system,” says Ashley Randle, commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources. “I think the only way we’ll be successful going forward is if we’re all at the table having these conversations and working together.”

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Expanding Food Access in Massachusetts

One of the most important initiatives from the task force’s recommendations is the state’s Food Security Infrastructure Grant Program, which launched in June 2020. With a focus on enhancing food-system resilience and ensuring equitable food access in Massachusetts, the program has awarded more than $130 million to projects ranging from school cafeteria updates that support serving local foods to refrigerated vans for transporting fresh produce.

Another successful recommendation from the task force is MDAR’s MassGrown Exchange, an online resource that debuted in the fall of 2020 as a platform for farms and other businesses to sell, buy or donate Massachusetts farm products, seafood and services.

While the Massachusetts Emergency Food Assistance Program was established in 1995, the ongoing $35 million annual state appropriation through MDAR to four regional food banks increased during the pandemic. The program includes an initiative to source fresh foods from Massachusetts farmers to distribute to more than 1,000 emergency pantries across the state. In 2021, MEFAP provided more than 143 million pounds of food to residents in need – over 25% more than in 2020.

Additionally, through its Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program, MDAR has leveraged more than
$7 million in U.S. Department of Agriculture funding to buy products from socially disadvantaged farmers and producers for distribution to the state’s underserved communities.

Also using USDA grant money, MDAR works with farmers markets to expand food access to seniors through its Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP), which provides $50 coupons – up from $25 last year – for senior adults to buy local foods at markets. The FMNP complements the state’s increasingly popular Healthy Incentives Program, which offers dollar-to-dollar matches on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, purchases when consumers buy food directly from local farmers.

See more: What’s Growing? Massachusetts Produce Calendar

Eat Local

Other collaborative efforts that have grown since the pandemic are the state’s farm-to-school initiatives, food hubs and incubator programs. Massachusetts Farm to School has received about $3.5 million in USDA funding to help connect farmers and fishermen with school food services to bring local food products into school cafeterias.

Food hubs, incubator farms and kitchens, and programs like the Massachusetts Food Ventures Program support farm and food businesses, particularly those in low- or moderate-income communities, in launching or expanding.

“We’ve seen a lot of growth in these in recent years,” Randle says. “It all goes back to the power of partnerships and collaboration, to see businesses start there, then open their own restaurant, store or food truck – it’s really amazing.”