Journal of Critical Infrastructure Policy
Similar to prepared-meal programs , bulk shelf-stable food purchases take time . More importantly , they rely on there being a steady supply of food to purchase . Even when that food is available , it is often expensive , and it requires near-heroic logistics on the part of local governments , who are not in the business of large-scale food wholesaling .
State Government Efforts
State governments are also experimenting with novel partnerships to address food insecurity in the wake of the pandemic . Some states , such as Massachusetts , have created statewide food security task forces to coordinate the efforts of various food-assistance programs and FAPs in order to best respond to a growing level of need ( Commonwealth of Massachusetts , 2020 ). Beyond the traditional role of facilitating funding between the federal and local governments , some states have created novel private-public partnerships to address hunger . For example , New York recently announced a partnership with the meal kit service Hello Fresh to provide over 200,000 meals through the end of 2020 as part of its Nourish New York initiative ( New York State , 2020 ).
Washington State has experienced an increase of almost 50 % in state residents seeking food assistance compared to November 2019 ( Patrick 2020 ). An estimated 30 % of the population , or 2.2 million people , were identified as food insecure , with 59 % having children in the household ( University of Washington Center for Public Health Nutrition , 2020 ). Similar to other areas in the country , local food banks and FAPs have recorded six to 12-week delays in the arrival of bulk shipments of food . In a proactive effort , the Washington State Department of Agriculture ( WSDA ) established a high-commodity food stockpile containing items such as peanut butter , pasta boxes , applesauce , canned vegetables , and pancake mix ( Patrick 2020 ). Although this stockpile represents the kind of solution this paper proposes , in establishing the state ’ s food commodity stockpile as an emergency , rapid-response measure and not as a long-term strategy , regional and national supply chain gaps were exacerbated for these commodities .
Federal Efforts CARES Act Funding
Resources to address food insecurity were included in the 2020 omnibus Coronavirus Aid , Relief , and Economic Security ( CARES ) Act ( 15 U . S . C . § 116 ), which was a $ 2 trillion economic relief package that provided emergency assistance and health care response for individuals , families , and businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic . Approximately $ 49 billion was directly allocated to food and agriculture provisions : $ 24 billion toward domestic food programs ; $ 15.8 billion increased funding to existing supplemental nutrition programs ; and $ 8.8 billion to fund additional child nutrition programs ( Farm Bureau , 2020 ). The emer-
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