SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — Boosting public spending on fresh foods grown on New York State farms and served in schools, childcare centers, older adult centers, food pantries and other institutions, has the potential to improve health for more than six million New Yorkers, while increasing economic opportunities across the state. The findings are part of a new report, ‘The Public Plate in New York State: Growing Health, Farms and Jobs with Local Food,’ by The New York Academy of Medicine and American Farmland Trust.
Informing policy makers and institutions about the potential health benefits of increasing the amount of farm-fresh, local fare served and consumed in the state’s public and publicly funded venues is part of the Academy’s effort to support policies—across sectors—that improve health. The Academy, and its Public Plate report partners, advise that adding more fresh food to the “public plate” offers an often-overlooked opportunity to help millions of New Yorkers reduce their risk of chronic disease.
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