MAYOR ADAMS TAKES EXECUTIVE ACTION TO PROMOTE HEALTHY FOOD IN NEW YORK CITY AT THE MERCY CENTER IN THE BRONX

 

Mayor Signs Two Executive Orders to Formalize City’s Commitment to Good Food Purchasing and Promote Healthy Food Advertising on City Property

 New York City Mayor Eric Adams today signed two executive orders signaling his administration’s commitment to procuring, preparing, and serving healthy and nutritious food citywide. The orders — signed at the Mercy Center Bronx, an emergency food pantry — further underscore Mayor Adams’ commitment to food justice and to reducing diet-related health inequities and disease outcomes.

“If we want to encourage New Yorkers to be healthier, the city must set the tone,” said Mayor Adams. “The executive orders we are signing today build on the progress we have made to better align our policies with our public health priorities, and show that New York City continues to lead the nation on food policy that centers equity and justice.”

Executive Order 8, Commitment to Health and Nutrition: Food Standards and Good Food Purchasing repeals Executive Order 122 of 2008, which set forth standards for meals served by city agencies. It will task the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the Mayor’s Office of Food Policy with revising the City Agency Food Standards, which will be circulated to agency heads on April 1, 2022, and every three years after that.  

The order also formalizes the city’s commitment to the Good Food Purchasing principles through transparency about how mayoral agencies’ procurements impact core values relating to local economies, environmental sustainability, valued workforce, animal welfare, and nutrition affecting the health of all New Yorkers.

Executive Order 9, Promotion of Healthy Foods in City Publications and Advertising on City Property requires that all promotional materials put out by agencies and advertisements on city property regarding food — to the extent practicable — feature healthy food.

Both orders build on the mayor’s bold food policy agenda, including the recent introduction of vegan options in all public schools and six new plant-based lifestyle medicine clinics in NYC Health + Hospital throughout the city. 

Also announced at the event was the publication of the Department of Social Services’ (DSS) new Food Distribution Program procurement, which will include fresh fruits and vegetables for the first time in the 30-year history of the program. Established in 1983, Emergency Food Assistance Program purchases and distributes food items to more than 600 food pantries and soup kitchens across the five boroughs. As a part of the city’s response to the COVID-19 emergency, DSS also began to distribute fresh fruits and vegetables through a parallel program, known as Pandemic Food Reserve Emergency Distribution. This procurement will streamline these efforts to ensure the safe, consistent, and reliable supply of nutritious, healthy, and culturally appropriate food to emergency food providers across the city, and direct public dollars to vendors that reflect the administration’s values of equity, public health, and minimizing environmental impact.  

“Today’s executive orders are another important step in supporting children and families in their lifelong heath journey,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom. “Aligning the city’s procurement and offering transparency in this area demonstrate that the city is committed to food system reform to put the city on a healthier, more sustainable path.” 

“Access to healthy, nutritious food in a dignified manner is essential for every New Yorker,” said Deputy Mayor of Strategic Initiatives Sheena Wright. “Today’s executive orders are critical steps in creating a healthier, more equitable, and transparent food system. We have dedication and commitment in this administration to making this happen and are proud of this important moment.” 

“Nutrition is one of the keys to a happy and prosperous life, and this administration is committed to ensuring that all New Yorkers have access to healthy, quality food,” said DSS Commissioner Gary P. Jenkins. “As the mayor has said, if we want to encourage New Yorkers to eat healthier, the city must lead by example, which is why we are excited to release our new Food Distribution Program RFP that will help us distribute fresh fruits and vegetables to nearly 600 food pantries and community organizations across the five boroughs via our Emergency Food Assistance Program.”

“Mayor Adams has been clear and steadfast in his stated commitment to reshaping our food systems to make them healthier and plant-forward for all New Yorkers, and especially those that bear the disproportionate burden of chronic diseases,” said Dr. Ashwin Vasan, senior health advisor and incoming commissioner, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. “As a primary care doctor, I know that healthy, plant-forward diets are as important as the medications I prescribe for my patients with chronic illnesses. And as an epidemiologist I know that heart disease continues to be the leading killer of New Yorkers, especially people of color, with diabetes not far behind. These executive orders and food assistance programs are crucial steps in the long-term work of making healthy food choices the standard, easy, and affordable choice for New Yorkers, and will save lives.”

“All New Yorkers deserve access to healthy and nutritious food that is good for both our bodies and our planet,” said Kate MacKenzie, executive director, Mayor's Office of Food Policy. “The mayor's announcement today of these two executive orders and the new Emergency Food Assistance Program procurement that includes fresh produce for the first time in the program's history makes it clear that New York is paving a food-forward path that is values-driven. I am grateful to the mayor for his leadership and excited to hit the ground running.” 

“Our multi-sector Good Food Purchasing Program  coalition is comprised of over 40 food system advocates that represent five value areas — animal welfare, environmental sustainability, labor, local economies, and nutrition,” said Ribka Getachew, director, New York Good Food Purchasing Program (GFPP) Campaign at Community Food Advocates. “We are incredibly excited to have a mayor that is a champion of the Good Food Purchasing as is reflected by Mayors Adams' singing of Executive Order 8. This coalition has been advocating for a formal codification of GFPP since the inception of the Good Food Purchasing Program Campaign in 2016, so this is an especially historic day for food system advocates. We look forward to deepening our partnership with the administration to expand the reach of GFPP in New York City and ensure the long-term and sustainable success of the program. There is strength in our collective power so working with the Adams administration to maximize the city’s massive institutional purchasing power of half of a billion dollars will radically transform our local and regional food economies!”

Above - Mayor Adams speaks about getting more fresh fruits and vegetables into city programs, schools, jails, and any other place the city distributes fresh food to. Mayor Adam holds up a fresh Green Squash.

Below - Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson speaks about the importance of Healthy eating, and being a participant in the Healthy Lifestyles program of Parkchester last year. She mentioned that she will bring the Bronx from #62 meaning first in unhealthy things, and last in good things.

Mayor Adams shows off the two proclamations he just signed at the Mercy Center located at 377 East 145th Street in the Bronx.

Above - Mayor Adams does his impression of Bronx Borough President Gibson by trying to place this box of food in this woman's wagon. 

Below - An actual photo of Bronx Borough President Elect Gibson placing a box of food into a wagon for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Above - Mayor Adams places Celery and other produce into this woman's bag. 

Below - Mayor Adams with staff and volunteers from the Mercy Center.