Chelsea Katz says:
Food deserts (whether you agree with the term or not) have become a hot topic in the social justice and food access space - and public initiatives like the HFFI are a step in the right direction. HFFI's focus on funding innovative initiatives that strive to make fresh, healthy food more accessible in lower income communities - regardless of sector - sets a great example for the philanthropic community. Whether it funds for-profit, non-profit or public entity solutions, the goal of the initiative is to invest in scaling solutions that have real impact on those living in food deserts - is the social capital market taking note?In Reference To:
Public Funding for Food Desert Solutions – Healthy Food Financing Initiative
Article Excerpt:
The Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI) supports projects that increase access to healthy, affordable food in communities that currently lack these options. Through a range of programs at the U.S. Departments of Agriculture (USDA), Treasury, and Health and Human Services (HHS), HFFI will expand the availability of nutritious food, including developing and equipping grocery stores, small retailers, corner stores, and farmers markets selling healthy food.
HFFI brings the expertise and resources of the USDA, Treasury and HHS together to give stakeholders a full range of tools to increase access to healthy foods. These three federal partners will make funding available through a shared set of goals and objectives.