As Supermarkets Move Out, New Yorkers Fight Back

For many New Yorkers, what was once a quick trip to the corner grocery has become an orchestrated trek across town, as supermarkets across the city have been forced to close due to skyrocketing rental costs. According to a study published by the Department of City Planning on April 21, 3 million New Yorkers live in neighborhoods that require more accessible supermarkets. The DOCP argues that increased access to supermarkets could lower obesity and diabetes rates, which have climbed 17% in the last two years. City agriculture officials hope to attract new supermarkets to the city by adopting economic measures modeled upon Pennsylvania’s $120 million Fresh Food Initiative, which has increased supermarket vitality in the state since its inception in 2004. The plan includes tax credits, grants and municipal funding for grocers who supply low-to-moderate-income neighborhoods with a wide selection of fresh food. The city hopes to recoup the nearly $1 billion dollars in supermarket revenue lost to the suburbs: a profit that the DOCP says will support 100 new city supermarkets. Meanwhile, community boards and the United Food and Commercial Workers Union have teamed up to preserve commercial space for neighborhood groceries. “[Landlords] just want to maximize their profit,” said union director of special projects Pat Purcell. “I get that, up to a point. But food is different. It affects your health.”

Court Holds HRA to Food Stamp Processing Deadlines

Obtaining food stamps in New York City requires extensive documentation, fingerprinting and patience in the face of city inefficiency. Following reports of widespread processing delays, an April 16 U.S. District Court settlement requires immediate Human Resources Administration compliance with legal time frames for benefits processing at non-cash assistance (NCA) food stamp offices, while mandating state and federal court oversight of city compliance for at least four years, effective immediately. State and federal law requires applications to be processed within 30 days of filing, or 5 days for the most pressing cases. A report published at the beginning of the year showed that deadlines were not being met in 1 out of every 12 applications: a situation NYCCAH Executive Director Joel Berg compared to a fire department’s slow response to 1 in 12 fires. The settlement also requires HRA to post signs in all food stamp offices informing applicants of their right to receive benefits within establish deadlines.

Confronted with Calorie Facts, Chain Customers Do the Math

On April 21, many New Yorkers were served breakfast with a side of reality. Following a federal court ruling that struck down protests from the New York State Restaurant Association, chain restaurants across the city are now required to prominently post the calorie contents of their menu items. Customer reactions ranged from blasé to alarmed as they confronted the nutritional reality of their regular orders. “I’m surprised, especially about the Iced Lemon Loaf,” said Starbucks customer Jeannie Soto. “It’s 500 calories. That’s like a Big Mac. It’s like a meal.” Chipotle customer Ralph Arend was unmoved: “If you’re really concerned, you can cook for yourself.” But, for many customers living in neighborhoods where food choices rarely extend beyond the offerings of chain restaurants and bodegas, city officials hope calorie posting may encourage better-informed choices and eventually lower city rates of obesity and diabetes. Chain restaurants that have not complied with the law by mid-July will face fines of up to $2,000.

Rationing Rice in Response to Consumer Stockpiling

Wholesale distributors Costco, Sam’s Club, and Indian food distributor Patel Brothers have responded to recent increased demand for specialty rice by rationing bulk supplies. South Asian rice producers have recently limited exports in an attempt to insulate domestic supplies from the troubled world economy, while immediate sharp increases in grain costs have prompted US small business owners and individuals to stock up in an attempt to avoid further cost inflation. So far, wholesale stores have applied rations to imported jasmine and basmati varieties only, as the demand for domestically-grown varieties has remained relatively stable. The cost of rice has risen 68% since the beginning of 2008.

Seven Months Later, Farm Bill Still Faces Veto

Following three extensions and seemingly interminable debate, the latest compromise farm bill has, like earlier versions, been met with the threat of Presidential veto. Congressional negotiators agreed to the $296 billion legislation, which increase funding for nutrition programs, including food stamps and emergency food programs, by $10 billion, while expanding an initiative to provide more fresh fruits and vegetables in school meals. President Bush has denounced the bill citing overspending and claiming that it offers no “real reform.” Farm subsidies have been a primary point of contention between the President and legislators, though subsidies account for only an estimated 16% of farm bill spending, according to House Agricultural Committee Chair Collin Peterson. NYCCAH Executive Director Joel Berg urged swift rectification of the most recent bill, noting that the absence of a new farm bill exacerbates the current hunger crisis. “The federal government has the resources and the scope to solve this problem,” said Berg. Congress may overturn a presidential veto with a two-thirds vote in each chamber of Congress. The July 2007 version of the bill passed by 231 votes in the House and 79 in the Senate; a two-thirds majority would require votes of 290 and 67, respectively.

© 2008 New York City Coalition Against Hunger