Interview with City Council Speaker Christine Quinn on FoodWorks New York

by Lynn Fredericks, FamilyCook Productions

Last December, New York City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn announced “FoodWorks New York”, a new effort by the City Council to produce the first ever "comprehensive plan to use New York City’s food system to create jobs, improve public health and protect the environment. "  This was pretty exciting for those of us who have the health of our city and region's food system in the forefront of our daily efforts and look to policymakers for innovation and frameworks for positive change. This month, our FSNYC Communications Committee checked in with Speaker Quinn to learn more about the initiative and its rationale vis a vis other policy  developments intended to support healthy food systems within our region.

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1. How will the City Council FoodWorks initiative move City government along to achieve the stated goals related to: production, processing, transport, retail, consumption, and post-consumption of food?

We’re in the process of consulting with a wide array of experts and advocates, and looking at what has worked in other cities, states, and even countries.  We’ll have more specific details in our FoodWorks plan, which we expect to release soon.   New York City currently lacks a comprehensive plan for our food system, and FoodWorks will be an important first step towards developing that plan.  We’re trying to determine where we want to be in 10, 20, or even 30 years, and set tangible goals for changing the way we deal with production, processing, transport, retail, consumption, and post-consumption.

2. During this time of budget deficits, how will our city be able to fund this initiative?

Not all good change is about spending money.  Some of the FoodWorks proposals will be achievable without any additional funds, and will help us do more with what we have. That said, we also recognize the need to plan for the future.  And even in tough economic times, we have a responsibility to invest in sustainable food infrastructure, and other initiatives that will pay dividends in the long run.

3. How will or can this initiative be integrated into PlaNYC, which does not address food currently?

PlaNYC is a bold and visionary map for a sustainable city, but it certainly doesn’t cover everything.  We’d love to see PlaNYC incorporate food more explicitly, and would welcome any opportunities to collaborate with the Bloomberg Administration on these issues.

4. Can you specify some of the jobs training initiatives you foresee resulting from this initiative?

At this point we don’t have final specifics to discuss, but one of the stated goals of FoodWorks is to create new and better jobs in the food industry.  There are jobs in the processing, transportation, and even growing of our food that are currently being done outside the five boroughs, but that could be brought local.  Here’s a great example - the DOE spends nearly 300,000 dollars a year to buy over half a million pounds of Romaine lettuce.  But the lettuce they serve doesn’t come from New York State, even though we do have local producers.  Why don’t we contract with facilities in the City that can wash, cut and bag that lettuce so it can be served in schools?  Investments like this will have an exponential effect when it comes to the creation of good jobs.

5. What is your opinion about proposed city Office of Food & Markets?

I’d need to review that proposal more closely before taking a formal position, but I will say that it seeks to address a real problem. The city’s food work cuts across numerous different agencies and programs.  Ben Thomases has done some great work with DOHMH, DOE, HRA and other agencies to improve the meals the city provides and expand access to healthy foods through the green cart program and FRESH.  However, there are other programs that are less recognized as food initiatives, and they often fall through the cracks.  One of the things FoodWorks is looking at is the opportunity for better coordination.  

6. Would you support city legislation to make it feasible for city food procurement to be able to have a preference for locally grown/produced food?

We definitely think procurement should be an engine for local economic development.  That’s why we recently worked with partners in Albany, and introduced a bill to allow for contracts of under $1 million to preference local companies - companies located within the five boroughs of NYC.  Using that same principle, we should look for opportunities to shorten supply chains and support regional farmers.