Alexander Bobella

What do you believe is the role of state government, if any, in ensuring that everyone living in Vermont has the food they need to thrive?

Food is a human right; for a state so proud of our agricultural sector, our state government is obligated to ensure that ALL people in Vermont have access to healthy, clean, safe food.

As a social worker in the Agency of Human Services, discussion of food security and food resources is a standard part of my workflow and discussed with all Vermonters I support. I frequently help Vermonters who are food insecure and in need of 3Squares or food shelf assistance -- I'm grateful for VTFoodbank.org, and believe the state should continue building an easy to read directory of food resources while minimizing barriers for food/3Squares access.

What would be your policy priorities to move Vermont toward food security for all?

Universal school meals need to be guaranteed; existing programs like SNAP and Meals on Wheels need to be shored up and guaranteed with consistent funding streams; local farmers and food producers should be incentivized to participate in affordable CSA's or local food programs; community meals should be commonplace in towns and funded by state government; food shelves and pantries need to be more ubiquitous and accessible. Vermont must also make the barrier for food security and 3Square enrollment much lower, or even investigate a universal food subsidy.

We need also to support the safety and dignity of our farmers and agricultural workers through programs like Milk with Dignity.

Funding for these programs is more complicated, but a good place to start is progressive taxation on the highest income earners.

What do you believe are the root causes of hunger, and what should the state do to address those underlying factors?

The root cause of hunger is poor distribution of food resources: we need to address food waste and maximize the food available to us rather than tossing it. SoV is obligated to ensure that food resources/programs are accessible and that wasteful businesses donate their extra food rather than trashing it.

SoV is also obligated to address food deserts and dismantle monopolistic businesses that drive out local food stores/distributors (i.e. Walmart, dollar general) while encouraging cooperative town farming and grocery practices.

I want also to briefly celebrate the "Food not Cops" program in Burlington that regularly provides high-quality food for unhoused individuals under the belief that good food helps struggling community members find a generative path forward.

Franklin County is desperately lacking a food co-op, which my constituents bring up often. We do not want to rely on Hannaford, Pricechopper, and Walmart for all of our food needs when there are better systems grounded in community/mutual aid.

How would you help strengthen the state’s agriculture and food economy to ensure Vermont farms can continue to grow the food we all need?

Vermont Farmers need access to the equipment, tools, and personnel to manage their production: we need better subsidies for farm technologies, better tools for farm maintenance (including business resources and fertilizer resources), and protections (both union and immigrant protections) for skilled agricultural workers. We also need to lean into agricultural science, ensuring our farming practices are sustainable and humane.

Franklin County dairy farmers are suffering now that the DFA has decided to idle: we need to root out monopolistic corporations that coerce our farmers into low wages and leave them without a voice in the discussion.