Reports

Overview

The New York State Council on Hunger and Food Policy (the “Council”) convenes to provide state policymakers with expertise on how to address food security and provide New York State residents with greater access to healthy, locally-grown food every day. Since its creation, the Council’s identity has evolved several times as a recognized group convening to support the work of New York State government on the issue of food insecurity.

Recognizing the value of input and discussion by knowledgeable stakeholders, the Council was first developed via executive order in 2007 as the Food Policy Council, which was tasked with providing input on government food-related policy decisions. In January 2011, the Council evolved into the New York State Council on Food Policy via another executive order, and was later merged with the New York State Anti-Hunger Task Force, which had been created in 2013 to research issues related to hunger and to develop recommendations for the State to consider.

Since 2016, the current New York State Council on Hunger and Food Policy, chaired by Commissioner Ball, provides guidance to state policymakers on how to best address hunger and improve access to healthy, locally-grown food for all New York State residents. Council members include experts and leaders in the fields of agriculture, food policy, hunger prevention, and healthcare.

In November 2022, Governor Kathy Hochul approved the bills (S.549-B and A.3954-B) that codified the existence and purpose of the Council on Hunger and Food Policy, so it no longer operates under executive order. Cited as the “local food, farms, and jobs act,” A.3945-B directs the Council to develop comprehensive, coordinated state food policies with the goal of ensuring all citizens of the state are able to eat a healthy diet and avoid food insecurity while consuming as many New York grown and produced foods as possible. The legislation formalized the Council and current membership to ensure continuation of the Council’s important work.

On March 3, 2023, Governor Hochul signed the New York State Assembly bill A.00615 (equivalent to Senate bill S.00829), which amended Chapter 645 of the Laws of 2022 to clarify the provisions relating to the establishment and priorities of the Council on Hunger and Food Policy.

Meetings

The NYS Council on Hunger and Food Policy will hold its next public meeting on Thursday, May 21, from 10:00am to 1:00pm. Registration is required. Please follow the link here to register.

Meeting materials will be posted 24 hours in advance.

Most Recent Meeting

The most recent meeting was held on October 1, 2025. A recording of the meeting is available online, and meeting materials are available below.

Members and Affiliates

Related Resources