Jersey City Selected by Biden Administration to Support Local Food Initiative, Environmental Protection, and Community Revitalization

JERSEY CITY, NJ – The City of Jersey City has been selected by the Biden Administration as one of only 13 communities nationwide to participate in Local Foods, Local Places (LFLP). The federal partnership program supports community-led efforts to reinvest in existing neighborhoods, protect the environment, and improve residents’ health and quality of life through the development of the local food economy.

Local Foods, Local Places provides direct technical assistance to communities to boost economic opportunities for local farmers and businesses, improve access to healthy local food, and promote wellness.

Selected communities will receive planning assistance that centers around a 2-day community workshop.  At the workshop, a team of experts will help community members develop an action plan that promotes local food and neighborhood revitalization.

Each selected community will work with a team of federal, state, and regional experts to address local agricultural, environmental, public health, economic development, and equity issues. Together, they will develop a community-led action plan to strengthen the local food system and spur the revitalization of often-overlooked neighborhoods in the community. 

The federal program is designed to create livable, walkable, economically vibrant main streets and mixed-use neighborhoods, boost economic opportunities for local farmers and main street businesses improve access to healthy, local food, especially among disadvantaged populations.

Under the LFLP program, the City of Jersey City is partnering with residents of the Bergen-Lafayette neighborhood to establish a “food value chain” embedded within the community. The goal is to increase demand for healthy local food, support the local economy by highlighting healthy food businesses, and connect unemployed residents with jobs in food production, aggregation, distribution, service, and disposal.

“We are excited to have the opportunity to bring together key Jersey City stakeholders to focus on healthy food access and economic revitalization in the Bergen-Lafayette neighborhood,” said Mayor Steve Fulop. “Throughout my administration, we have focused a significant amount of City resources into Bergen-Lafayette, and these community convenings will allow us to make important connections to help bring good food and good jobs into one of our most unserved communities.”

A Steering Committee made up of city officials and community members will provide guidance throughout the program’s implementation and operation. 

Since its inception in 2016, Jersey City’s Department of Health and Human Services and the Division of Food & Nutrition has significantly increased funding in the local food economy, providing additional support for growing vegetables, and will now expand to include food manufacturing to keep the federal food program dollars for benefiting local residents and businesses.

“Local Foods, Local Places is a great example of how federal and local partners can come together to support community efforts that build food systems, improve equitable access to healthy food, create job opportunities, and enhance environmental protection efforts,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “I am excited to see how these communities thrive over the next several years and become models for other locations across the nation.”