The Food Policy’s work is about good government. We work across departmental boundaries to identify opportunities for collaboration and action, breaking down bureaucratic barriers to accomplish the goal of food security for all of Connecticut’s residents. There is no one easy answer to the issue of food security — improving it is a multi-stakeholder process, with implications across many industry sectors. It takes insight, involvement and a willingness to look at solutions in a new light.
A NEW PLAN TO LINK ELIGIBILITY FOR STATE ASSISTANCE
PROGRAMS HAS RESULTED IN MORE PEOPLE GETTING FOOD, MORE EFFICIENTLY.
The Food Policy Council identified an opportunity to simplify the application
process for assistance programs by developing a single form to link eligibility
across departments. As a result, The Department of Social Services established
the TEFAP Advisory Council to examine barriers to program participation, whose
work resulted in a new state plan and check-off form, linking eligibility for Food Stamps, WIC, Reduced Price School Lunch
Program and Husky. This process means that clients do not have to re-verify
income in each case, and has eliminated extra appointments and missed days at
work. An additional benefit has been an increase in participation by local food
pantries that found the previous application process too cumbersome.
THE FARMLAND PRESERVATION PROGRAM HAS BEEN
RE-ENERGIZED.
The state’s goal to preserve 130,000 acres of farmland had lost momentum
over the past several years, with no farmland preserved at all during 1999. As a
result of the Council’s initiatives with the Working Lands Alliance and the
Save the Land Conference, development rights to 12 farms were purchased during
2000, totaling 1350 acres — more than the total preserved during the prior six
years.
CHANGES TO BID PROCESS HAVE INCREASED OPPORTUNITIES FOR
LOCAL FOOD WHOLESALERS
Due to their involvement with the Food Policy Council, the University of
Connecticut addressed an issue that was preventing Connecticut food wholesalers
from bidding on University contracts — a "sole source" policy that
gave all of the University’s food supply business to one vendor. Eliminating
this requirement helps locally-owned businesses compete for University food
supply contracts.
IMPROVED ACCESS TO FOOD FOR SENIORS, URBAN, AND
LOW-INCOME RESIDENTS
Interdepartmental collaboration has resulted in several projects designed to
improve access to food for Connecticut residents. The Department of Agriculture
and Department of Transportation produced a map project that shows the
location of Connecticut farms. The Department of Agriculture and
Department of Social Services have expanded the Food Stamp program to include
coupons for use by senior citizens at Farm Markets. And the Department of Social
Services and Department of Public Health are analyzing the use of "Smart
Card" technology and eligibility linking for WIC and Food Stamp programs.
The Food Policy Council also cosponsored a public hearing, Barriers to Food
Access in Connecticut, in March 2000 with State Rep. Barnaby Horton and the
Hartford Advisory Commission on Food Policy. The hearing focused on a
long-standing food problem in Connecticut, the lack of full-size, affordably
priced supermarkets in or near low-income communities and the related issues of
transportation. Legislation to encourage the development of supermarkets in
these areas is being proposed.
How do Food Policy decisions get made?
Part of the Council’s work has been to examine issues of food security with the goal of developing a food policy for the state which would serve as a guide for the development and operation of state programs.
The policy identifies food security issues requiring analysis and action, and recommends priorities for improving access to food at the departmental level when designing and funding programs.