RI Food Policy Council Announces Food Security Plan - Funded with $100,000 Federal Grant

RI Food Policy Council Announces Food Security Plan - Funded with $100,000 Federal Grant

The Rhode Island Food Policy Council (RIFPC) announced today that it has launched a new project to build effective and reliable market links between local food producers and people in need of emergency and supplemental food. The project will support the state’s family farms and fishermen and feed tens of thousands of food-insecure Rhode Islanders. 

“The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented levels of hunger and food waste,” says RI Food Policy Council Network Director Nessa Richman. “Rhode Island has experienced a 45 percent increase in food insecurity from pre-pandemic levels and economic projections suggest that this situation is likely to continue for at least another one to two years.”

A combination of restaurant closures, public events cancellations, and reduced operations for farmers markets and farm stands has also put a strain on local producers. “Our local farmers and fishermen are reinventing themselves on the fly as they are faced with the realization that they need to broaden their markets if they hope to survive and thrive in the long term,” says Richman.

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The project will help develop, coordinate, and expand Rhode Island food business enterprises by supporting and amplifying existing state programs, said Richman. “The state has engaged in several innovative pilot projects that link local farmers and fishermen with the state’s emergency feeding system. We and our partners will coordinate and invest in these market relationships until they reach a scale and effectiveness that is self-sustaining.”

Funding for this project has been provided by the USDA Local Food Promotion Program, with Rhode Island’s Federal delegation members providing key letters of support during the application process. 

About the project partners: The Rhode Island Food Policy Council is joined in this work by the Rhode Island Community Food Bank, Hope’s Harvest RI, and the Commercial Fisheries Center of Rhode Island.