Examining Food Insecurity in Rhode Island

Please join the Rhode Island Public Health Institute and Grow Smart Rhode Island in examining the causes of the high levels of food insecurity in Rhode Island and discussing potential methods to alleviate this public health problem.

Panel 1: Sugar Sweetened Beverage Taxes as a Funding Mechanism for the Retail SNAP Incentive Program

This panel will examine the efficacy of 1.5 cent per ounce Rhode Island Sugar Sweetened Beverage Tax (SSBT) to fund the Retail SNAP Incentive Program (RSIP). During 2019, in collaboration with community & stakeholder partners, RIPHI led the development of the RSIP that would enable SNAP recipients to receive a 50% reduction in the cost of their fresh fruits and vegetables in retail grocery stores, enabling increased access to fresh healthy food and enable low-income Rhode Islanders to stretch their food budgets further. A sugar sweetened beverage tax will be explored as a funding mechanism for this sustainable hunger relief program.

Panel 2: Food Access & Transportation: An Equity Intersection

Join advocates and practitioners working around the state to use equitable transportation as a means to addressing food access as we discuss what state and local leaders can do to ensure all Rhode Islanders, regardless of transportation abilities, have reliable access to healthy food.  We will highlight current challenges, past successes, and exciting developments that every community can learn from and act upon, and dive specifically into how public transit can play a crucial role in addressing these issues in an equitable way.

Download the event flyer.

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