On October 26, 2016 CCC submitted testimony to the City Council Consumer Affairs Committee regarding a package of bills known collectively as the Food Vendor Modernization Act.
CCC’s testimony urged the Council to ensure that as they look to amend existing food vending laws that they ensure that these new laws do not undermine the GreenCart initiative and ideally strengthen it. In 2008, the City Council and Mayor Bloomberg, with the support of advocates such as CCC, created 1,000 vendor permits for GreenCarts to sell fruits and vegetables in specific precincts identified as food deserts. The goal was to bring healthy, affordable food to neighborhoods with limited access to help improve health outcomes for children and families.
CCC’s testimony also includes recommendations to strengthen the GreenCart initiative, such as ensuring all GreenCarts have EBT terminals, allowing GreenCarts to be placed in high traffic public areas such as NYCHA complexes, and conducting another marketing campaign.
