The House Committee on Ways and Means introduced its budget proposal on April 13. There were many proposed investments that reflect advocacy on the part of food system stakeholders, including funding for a full year of universal school meals, support for Buy Local organizations and MEFAP, and a commitment to continue funding HIP program growth. […]
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Participate in upcoming online listening sessions Massachusetts is developing its plan to address climate change, and farmers need to provide input to ensure that the plan fairly represents the needs of agriculture and the role that farmers can play in helping the state meet its goals. Four listening sessions will be held over the next […]
read more…On Tuesday, Governor Baker proudly proclaimed in his State of the Commonwealth Address: “Our food insecurity programs served millions of residents across the Commonwealth and brought together partners and providers, ranging from foundations to farmers’ markets to food banks. The knowledge gained has created new, permanent investments and better approaches to supplying and distributing food […]
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The Collaborative is facilitating a campaign to ensure that every K-12 public school student in MA has access to high-quality food system education.
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The Collaborative is working to organize skill sharing among urban agriculture organizations.
read more…The 2021 MA Food System Forum was held December 3-9. Hundreds of food system stakeholders participated in discussions focused on how the various parts of the food system intersect and support each other, how they sometimes put pressure on each other, and how stakeholder work can help the local food system be more sustainable, equitable, […]
read more…The federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) committed $5.3 billion to the state of Massachusetts for recovery and rebuilding efforts following the COVID-19 pandemic. As state lawmakers have begun discussing how to best spend those funds, the Collaborative has been working with our allies to advocate that resources be dedicated to the local food system. […]
read more…Farmers and advocates have upcoming opportunities to influence how state policy related to climate change includes and addresses issues of concern to agriculture. The State is in the process of a Climate Change Assessment to provide an updated analysis of how climate change may impact the Commonwealth over the coming decades. It will serve to […]
read more…Signed by the Governor and enacted in late March of 2021, overall the law gets more specific on Greenhouse Gas (GHG) limits and mechanisms and processes to get to the 2050 requirement of net zero GHG emissions. Some things of note: The law redefines direct and indirect GHG emissions and emission sources to be any use, distribution, […]
read more…My name is Norris Guscott and I’m the new Equity Policy Network Manager at the MA Food System Collaborative! In this role, I am working to build, engage, and empower a network of BIPOC farmers, food equity leaders, and the organizations that represent and support them so we are able to effectively advocate together for […]
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