News

In response to the spread of COVID-19 and the measures being taken to address it, the Collaborative has compiled this list of readings and resources to keep the MA food system community informed and aware of relevant actions and activities.

A number of climate change measures under consideration in the legislature could have significant impact on agriculture and other food businesses. Recently passed by the Senate, An Act Setting Next Generation Climate Policy (S.2477) is a very complex bill that deserves attention from food system stakeholders as it moves through the legislative process.  This bill […]

A research project funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation of Massachusetts. This submission was written by Jessica O’Neill, Executive Director of Just Roots and co-author on the study’s resulting research findings, now published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine and the American Journal of Public Health. A small, […]

Farmers and fishermen rely on state and federal grant programs to help them adapt to climate change and other pressures, and to take advantage of new opportunities and concepts to remain viable. The Collaborative has investigated the spending of many of the grant programs administered by the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) to help […]

These materials were presented at the November 2019 MA Food System Forum. Keynote (Dr. Becca Jablonski): Tensions and Trade-offs in Food System Work Lobbying for Nonprofits workshop (Allen Mattison): Strategic Advocacy Lobbying Basics Permissible Issue Advocacy vs. Prohibited Campaign Intervention Using the Section 501(h) Lobbying Definitions

These materials were presented at the November 2019 MA Food System Forum. Keynote (Dr. Becca Jablonski): Tensions and Trade-offs in Food System Work Lobbying for Nonprofits workshop (Allen Mattison): Strategic Advocacy Lobbying Basics Permissible Issue Advocacy vs. Prohibited Campaign Intervention Using the Section 501(h) Lobbying Definitions

On September 27 the Joint Committee on Public Health held a “Food Is Public Health Oversight Hearing” in Greenfield. Speakers included advocates and practitioners from across the Commonwealth, all speaking to the need for programs and investments in healthy eating as critical to protecting public health. A written summary and video of the full hearing […]

The Collaborative joined many other stakeholder groups in providing recommendations for the Rural and Working Lands and Climate Change and Resiliency groups that led to the recently released Rural Policy Plan (RPP). There are many important parallels with the Massachusetts Local Food Action Plan (MLFAP), and a number of specific recommendations that are similar or […]

Attend the 3rd Annual MA Food System Forum to learn new skills, celebrate successes, and collaborate across disciplines to increase equity and sustainability in the MA food system. 

A report on the first year of operation for the Healthy Incentives Program (HIP) has been published, laying out patterns of initial use, and identifying issues to address for the long-term health of the program.  The largest number of HIP points of sale were located in Middlesex and Worcester counties, two of the largest counties […]