Healthy Food, Healthy Lives

Project Title

Implementing and Sustaining Regional Healthy Food Systems Planning

Grant Amount

$213,852

Priority Area

Healthy Food, Healthy Lives

Date Awarded

June 14, 2024

Region

Southern Tier

Status

In Progress

Website

https://www.foodbankst.org/

Food systems planning is a collaborative process among farmers, retailers, consumers, nonprofits, health systems, and government to develop priorities and implement policies and practices that shape how local or regional food systems operate. Benefits of food planning include improving food procurement at public institutions, supporting local retail food businesses, and strengthening outreach and enrollment in benefits programs. NYHealth has supported eight food planning groups—including the Food Bank of the Southern Tier (FBST)—to develop tailored regional food systems plans; FBST is now poised to turn its plan into action. In 2024, NYHealth awarded FBST a grant to implement Broome County’s food access plan, grow advocacy and education campaigns, and expand planning efforts to additional counties.

Under this grant, FBST will integrate food access into Broome County’s countywide transportation plan and increase use of nutrition benefits like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) at farmers markets. It will also expand its work beyond Broome County, coordinating food planning activities with other counties in the region and advocating for statewide policy change to expand access to healthy foods.