Track the Budget.

The budget process is long and, at points, complicated. Follow along step-by-step by visiting the official website of the Massachusetts State Legislature.

Budget Priorities.

Each fiscal year, the Massachusetts Food System Caucus selects amendments and line-items as priorities. If there is an appropriation you feel fits the caucus’ messaging and priorities please contact the members and co-chairs.

MEFAP - $30M (level from FY21)

Included in the FY22 Conference Committee Report

We respectfully request $30 million in funding for the Massachusetts Emergency Food Assistance Program (MEFAP) to meet the continued high demand on food banks caused by the pandemic. Adequate MEFAP funding in the form of the $30M will provide critical support to food banks and pantries. MEFAP was established to ensure that all MA residents have access to food by supplying healthy and locally grown food to a statewide network of providers, each of which is a member of one of the four food bank distribution centers: the Greater Boston Food Bank, the Merrimack Valley Food Bank, the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, and the Worcester County Food Bank. We believe the $30M is not only warranted due to the nature of the pandemic’s impact on food insecurity, but absolutely critical to ensure food banks and pantries are able to serve the needs of Commonwealth residents. It is also critical to note that MA residents who are non-citizens are not allowed to access traditional safety net programs like SNAP. The only option many of these non-citizen residents have in order to secure additional food for their family beyond what they can afford to purchase is through food banks and pantries. The $30M in MEFAP funding will help make sure these residents do not go hungry due to their inability to receive benefits.

HIP - $13M (level from FY21)

Included in the FY22 Conference Committee Report

We also respectfully request that $13 million is included in the FY22 budget for the Healthy Incentives Program (HIP). HIP has been a long-standing priority of the Food System Caucus and has received widespread attention as a critical program to combat food insecurity and support farmers during the COVID-19 crisis. All SNAP households are automatically enrolled in HIP which gives users one dollar back for each dollar spent on eligible produce to a maximum allowance dictated by family size.

The two-fold benefit of investing in HIP has never been more urgent. First, HIP provides access to local and nutritious food for our most in-need residents and families. It is common knowledge that the COVID-19 crisis disproportionately impacts our most vulnerable residents. Many people struggle to afford food at all, let alone afford fresh, healthy food for their families. Second, HIP supports Commonwealth farmers, whose operations have been impacted due to COVID-19. $13M in funding for HIP in FY22 would shore up the agriculture industry by enabling farmers to plan and grow for the increased demand that HIP creates. Both of these at-risk populations (low-income families and farmers), would benefit greatly from immediate investment in HIP. One dollar spent through HIP serves two vulnerable groups during this crisis and protects families, jobs, and supports the economy.

We also request that any remaining FY21 HIP dollars be rolled over to the FY22 budget, as we anticipate the total HIP funding need to be $18M in FY22. The proposed funding would ensure consistency of the program, avoiding historical suspensions that have both compromised the efficacy of the program and under-utilized the infrastructure in which the state has so carefully invested. Avoiding these suspensions will be critical in FY22, as the record level of food insecurity caused by COVID-19 is not predicted to vanish anytime soon. Finally, HIP has proven to be a crucial public health program, improving public health outcomes among typically hard-to-reach populations, and we cannot ignore proven and effective public health programs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

UMass Extension - $1,046,400 (new)

Finally, we respectfully request $1,046,400 in the FY22 budget for the UMass Extension (The University of Massachusetts Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment). The Extension functions as a source of research, education, and technical assistance for over 6,000 farmers and natural resource-based businesses each year, helping them remain competitive and stay current on management practices. The industries that the Extension services generate up to $4.5B in direct sales, $7.1B in economic impact, and provide more than 36,000 jobs (Farm Credit East, 2020). The Extension lost 2/3 of its staff due to budget cuts between 1988-2015, and lost many more to COVID-19 retirement incentives. The requested funding would allow the Extension to best-serve the MA food and agricultural industry by hiring 8 new staff positions, equipment required by each position, and overhead costs. MA Department of Agricultural Resources would administer the funding as grants. The UMass Extension serves all people of the Commonwealth, particularly those in greatest need due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, by strengthening our food and ag system. The Extension is currently unable to best-serve this industry due to the massive staffing losses.