Legislation recently introduced in the state House of Representatives would provide tax credits of up to $100,000 and grants of up to $50,000 to restauranteurs who sell PA Preferred groceries to customers in underserved neighborhoods.
The bill would create the Food Security Initiative, which would be funded by the federal CARES Act. The initiative would provide tax credits and grants. In return, restaurants must offer Pennsylvania-sourced grocery foods, such as dairy, fruit, vegetables, meat, and eggs.
“Food deserts have been a problem for a long time,” state Rep. Chris Rabb (D-Philadelphia), who introduced the bill, said. “Food deserts exist in both urban and rural neighborhoods, and people in those neighborhoods aren’t able to easily access healthy food within their local area, beyond canned goods and pre-packaged foods. In order to improve the health and well-being of our communities, we need to ensure everyone has easy access to healthy foods.”
The initiative also would create local jobs in economically distressed communities, Rabb said.
Food deserts are areas where people do not have access to healthy food or must travel long distances to find grocery stores that provide fresh produce.
More than 2 million people statewide live in food deserts, according to the Food Trust.