To: Governor Andrew Cuomo

Support NY's Farm to Food Bank Tax Credit Bill

Dear Governor Cuomo:

The “Farm to Food Bank” bill (Senate Bill 7833/Assembly Bill 10584) allows New York farmers to receive a refundable tax credit for donations made to food banks and other emergency food programs serving low-income New Yorkers. If enacted, it would benefit New York farmers by making it more economically feasible for them to donate food to those in need; the bill would also benefit the environment by decreasing food waste and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from landfills; and, most importantly, it would benefit impoverished, food-insecure individuals by increasing their access to fresh, healthy produce.

For those who don’t always know where their next meal is coming from, such donations have the potential to positively impact their health outcomes in the long-term and meet their immediate food needs in the short-term. Fresh, locally grown food that might otherwise go to waste can now be distributed to New York’s neediest populations via the emergency food programs that serve them.

For these reasons, I strongly support this bill and respectfully request that you sign it into law.

Sincerely,

Why is this important?

There are 2.7 million New Yorkers who are food-insecure/hungry -- almost a million of whom are children. Any actions our state government can take to increase access to healthy, nutritious food for those who need it most should be taken. By offering a refundable tax credit to farmers who donate to food banks, this bill is a win-win for New York's farming families and those who rely on emergency food programs to feed themselves and their families. We are urging Governor Cuomo to sign it into law before the end of 2016.