Greenmarket Access to Improve for Food Stamp Users
Friday, August 04, 2006
New York, NY –
New Yorkers who use food stamps will get better access to buying fresh fruit and vegetables. The City Council is launching an initiative to equip farmers at greenmarkets to accept electronic benefits cards or EBTs.
Since food stamps switched from paper to cards in 2000, it's been difficult for people to use them to shop at the city's 80 farmers markets.
Joel Berg, Executive Director of the New York City Coalition Against Hunger praised today's initiative and said it will help combat hunger and obesity.
BERG: Produce unaffordable is produce unavailable. There are over a million people in New York City currently receiving food stamps and hunger and obesity are the flipsides of the same malnutrition coin. To deal with one you have to deal with the other.
The pilot program is being launched in 4 farmers markets in Manhattan, The Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens.
Leave a Comment
Register for your own account so you can vote on comments, save your favorites, and more. Learn more.
Please stay on topic, be civil, and be brief.
Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments. Names are displayed with all comments. We reserve the right to edit any comments posted on this site. Please read the Comment Guidelines before posting. By leaving a comment, you agree to New York Public Radio's Privacy Policy and Terms Of Use.