The Massachusetts Food Trust Program, established in law in 2014, would provide loans, grants, and technical assistance to support new and expanded healthy food retailers and local food enterprises in low and moderate income communities. This could include grocery stores, corner stores, farmer’s markets, mobile markets, community kitchens, food co-ops, food truck commissaries, indoor and outdoor greenhouses, and food distribution hubs.

MPHA and our partners won significant victories during the 2015-2016 legislative cycle by securing $6M in authorized capital funds and $100K in administrative funds for the Massachusetts Food Trust. Now, we must work hard to make sure that the capital funds are released to seed this important program. To help advocate for the Food Trust, please sign up for action alerts below.

The Facts   

Data collected by The Food Trust shows that 2.8 million people living in low income areas in Massachusetts lack access to grocery stores, including more than 700,000 children and 523,000 seniors. Grocery stores included chain and independent markets with annual food sales of $2 million or more. Low income areas were based on incomes lower than the state wide per capita income level of  $36, 895.

Top Massachusetts Cities with the most significant Grocery Gap:

1. Chelsea
2. Springfield
3. Taunton
4. Everett
5. Revere
6. Lawrence
7. Lowell
8. Lynn
9. Brockton
10. Chicopee

The maps below highlight the grocery gap  in the counties of the top ten cities in Massachusetts with low grocery store access. Fact sheets provide info on the potential impact of the Massachusetts Food Trust Program to help reduce food access disparities in cities like Revere, Springfield and  Lawrence by expanding the capacity of local farmers’ markets, and bodegas and building more grocery stores.

View, Massachusetts Food Trust Impact Sheet

View, Massachusetts Food Trust Fact Sheet

View, 2014 Environmental Bond Bill – Healthy Food Financing Language

Take Action!

Sign your organization up as a supporter of the MA Food Trust — click, here.

Sign up for MA Food Trust action alerts . Contact MPHA Coalition and Advocacy Manager, Kristina St. Cyr at: kstcyr@mapublichealth.org.

Interested in writing an OpEd or Letter to the Editor? Contact Kristina St. Cyr at: kstcyr@mapublichealth.org for more details.

Spread the word about the #MAFoodTrust and the importance of #healthyfoodaccess on Twitter and Facebook.
.

MA Food Trust in the News

• Revere Wants to Close Grocery Gap — ItemLive.com (May 9, 2017)
• 40 percent of state is a food desert, says new report  — Boston 25 News (May 5, 2017)
• Data shows gateway cities, rural areas trapped in ‘grocery gap’ — State House News (April 12, 2017)
• Program Pledging Healthy Foods in Low-Income Areas Lacks Funding — State House News (March 30, 2016)
• Advocates press Baker to release funds for healthy foods initiative – The Boston Globe (Jan. 5, 2016)
• MPHA Executive Director’s interview with the Boston.com WRKO Morning Show (Jan. 7, 2016)
• MPHA Exectutive Director and Dorchester Community Food Coop interview with WBUR Radio Boston (Jan. 7, 2016)

Op Eds and Editorials:

• Rebekah Gewirtz and Chris Flynn: Here’s hoping Governor Baker has hit on recipe for healthy food in needy areas — Boston Globe (Sept. 26, 2016)
• Food is Big Business, Seek its Just Deserts  — Boston Business Journal (July 8, 2016)
• Affordable Food: Everett’s Pathway to Health and Economic Vitality — Everett Independent (Nov. 5, 2015)
• Lauren Levesque: Boosting health, economy with access to healthy food — Berkshire Eagle (Sept. 6, 2015)
• Rebekah Gewirtz: Mass could do more to boost access to healthy, affordable food — Boston Globe (June 2, 2015)
• Affordable Food Area’s Pathway to Health and Economic Vitality — Lowell Sun (May 26, 2015)
• Food needs should be addressed in budget: Editorial — Springfield Republican (May 18, 2015)

Additional Resources

Municipal Strategies to Increase Food Access Toolkit
A report that presents strategies and methods to increase food access and food production in municipal systems. The toolkit is a tool that municipal staff, board members and community food advocates can utilize to improve food access in their towns and cities.

Sowing Seeds at the State Level: How Legislatures Strengthen Local Food Systems
A webinar featuring MPHA, the National Conference of State Legislatures and the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources.

Healthy Food Access Portal
Find contact information for your elected officials, here.

Good Food Massachusetts: Municipal Resource Guide
The purpose of this resource guide is to inform local leaders of many resources available to increase access to healthy, affordable food and to make Massachusetts municipalities a healthier place to live, work, learn, and play.

Supporting Organizations to Date

Click here to add your organization to the list.