.Phoenix Resilient Food System
American Rescue Plan Act
Phoenix Resilient Food System
Overview
COVID-19 exacerbated health disparities and increased rates of food insecurity for families. Funding under the Coronavirus Relief Fund helped create one of the City’s most successful pandemic relief programs – Feed Phoenix Food Program. The programs in the Phoenix Resilient Food System builds on the success of this program and adds more sustainable food options for Phoenix residents. The programs below provide resources to address food insecurity and includes assistance to businesses, residential backyard gardens, farmland preservation, food waste and composting education, and more.
Explore Programs
Economic Development and Innovation
This portion of the Resilient Food System includes three programs.
The first is the Feed Phoenix Program which is a continuation of the CRF program where Local First Arizona Foundation delivers meals to the community.
The second is the Worker Cooperative Sustainable Food System Business Incubator program that focuses on developing worker cooperatives for sustainable food business enterprises through a collaboration with the private sector.
The third is the Agri-Food Technology Grants that provides funds and incentives to encourage food system entrepreneurs and innovative food businesses to expand or locate in the City.
Equity and Inclusion
This portion of the Resilient Food System includes three programs.
The first is the LISC Phoenix Funds to Feed Program which is a continuation of the CRF funds program that provides funds for community/grassroots organizations and school districts.
The second is the Urban Agriculture Fellowship which provides funds for a one-year fellowship for youth with local food producers with 60% for Black, Indigenous, and persons of color participants.
The third is the Council District Food Action Plans or Initiatives which focuses on districts with food deserts, high food insecurity, and hunger rates to identify food projects.
Local Food Consumption/Production
This portion of the Resilient Food System includes two programs.
The first is Farmland Preservation which is a partnership with nonprofits and land trusts to assist in the purchase and preservation of up to 100 acres of land for agriculture.
The second is the Backyard Food Production Pilot which provides installation of a garden system with training and education for one year to residents located in food deserts.
Food Banks and Pantries Support
This funding will be used to provide resources for local food banks and food pantries to provide food and other resources for struggling families.
Staff will ensure broad engagement with small, medium and large foodbanks and pantries ensuring outreach and emphasis with smaller community-based food banks and food pantries.
Meals that Work
This program prepared and delivered 1,000 meals for 26 weeks to social service organizations, such as St. Vincent de Paul, schools, and more. Fourteen food service employees at the Convention Center were utilized to prepare the meals.
Outreach and Support Staff
Funds are used to provide advertising and outreach efforts to ensure funds allocated under this program is fully maximized. Additionally, funds are used to hire two full-time positions to manage and monitor all activities for the Phoenix Resilient Food System programs in the Office of Environmental Programs.
Resilient Food System
Funds are providing grants to farms for advancing technologies and methods that address growing food in our changing climate.