FOOD SECURITY IS FOR EVERYBODY

The problem: We live in a food insecure community.

“Approximately one in four adults (24.9 percent) in New York State experience food insecurity”

Reference: NY State Department of Health, January 2023

“Food insecurity is characterized by limited or uncertain access to adequate food due to limited economic resources”

Reference: NY State Department of Health, January 2023

Harmful impacts of food insecurity on human health is not solved through increasing access to ‘food’ alone. That food must be safe and nutritional.

The problem is, ‘accessible’ food is not usually nutritious as it lacks vitamins and minerals...Nutritious food is becoming unattainable for more and more people

Reference: Hunter College Food Policy Center

Resource: Wageningen University & Research: global projects to strengthen food security

As a result of long-entrenched structural racism, food insecurity in our community is disproportionately experienced by Black and Latinx folks.

In our Hudson Valley community access to sustainable and healthy organic produce, particularly pre-prepared meals is limited and expensive. Many who are struggling may not fall into homelessness but still do not have enough money for basic needs, like food.

Nutritional healthy food has become a luxury market good rather than what it is: a basic human need.

It’s why food insecurity has been associated with higher levels of diet-related chronic diseases, due to the lack of nutritional options available for these folks and their families.

Resource: Wageningen University & Research: global projects to strengthen food security

  • Food insecurity is associated with higher levels of diet-related chronic diseases due to the lack of nutritional options available for these folks and their families.

Natural, nutritious food is the solution:

Evidence shows that sugar, oils, saturated fats, synthetic pesticides, and artificial ingredients found in processed foods pose a wide variety of health risks and diseases.

As ultra processed foods increase in the diet, so too does the rate of diet-related disease.

Reference: Hunter College Food Policy Center

  • UPLIFTING PURCHASING AGENCY

  • “The question should be about agency — do people have the ability to go out and buy for themselves the food they want and need?”

  • Food security must include choice. Food relief and access programs are often missing this dignity.

  • Reference: Hunter College Food Policy Center

We have enough natural food being grown in the Hudson Valley - it’s just is being wasted.

Not only is nutritional, natural food not entering the affordable marketplace, but it’s ending up in the trash, never leaving the farm or distributor.

This food waste is also a climate change issue...

Reducing this food waste could lower GHG emissions and improve food security, by redirecting this produce into the mutual aid network.

Lunchbar aims to brings solutions to these problems

Lunchbar cooks natural, locally farmed ingredients to provide nutritional pre-prepared meals to the Hudson Valley community.

These meals are distributed daily throughout the Hudson Valley via our retail partners.

We utilized local hospitality venues, using their commercal kitchens to cook these meals outside of their regular service hours.

We aim to provide one freshly prepared meal service each day.