Genevieve Duchesneau

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?

I believe that in a truly functional society our state makes sure all people have access to a reliable source of food, weather or not they have the means to purchase it. The government is supposed to function to enhance the lives of its people.

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

I believe that creating more funding programs for small to medium sized local farms, and then connecting them with distribution methods that are able to inundate all of our small communities with diverse and healthy local produce would be a meaningful step forward. Vermont already has some of this but we have plenty of room for growth.

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

I believe that housing insecurity and lack of affordable medical care lead to food insecurity. We need to address the high costs of medical care in our state by creating a Universal Healthcare plan and instantiating it in a meaningful way. By doing so we will be able to draw healthcare workers from around the world to our state. More accessible healthcare leads to more people living healthier lifestyles. We can then use some of the new tax revenue to create better programs to design and build low and middle income housing in our communities. All of this leads to happier, healthier, and more stable communities which will grow into a bright future for our state instead of stagnating over the coming decades.

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?

I am not an expert in this field, but one thing I have learned in my career is that when we lean on various forms of expertise relating to larger topics like this one we as a people can combine our talents to create truly viable and equitable solutions for all instead of ones that only serve to create wealth for a few.

I would work with farmers, forestry experts, geologists, and other nature focused experts to create potential solutions. By combining their knowledge with that of economists and technology experts I believe we can create tailored solutions that are highly achievable and will create long term success for our state and its people.