Julia Andrews

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?

As someone who has worked in so-called "emergency food" for the last 18 years, I believe that the government (both state and federal) have a responsibility to ensure that people have enough to eat.

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

I was proud to vote in favor of Universal School Meals to provide an additional layer of food security for children. I'd be in favor of exploring additional avenues for the elimination of hunger in Vermont, especially ones that support farmers as well.

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 poverty- a simple answer, but not one that is simple to solve.

We can and must continue to provide funding and services to help people in poverty to exist with dignity and to help them improve their circumstances. It is also clear that wages are not sufficient to support people to afford a place to live and everything else that they need.

A huge cornerstone issue for people across Vermont and the country is the lack of affordable housing. While we've made progress over the past several years, much more needs to be done to continue to build housing for people across the socio-economic strata.

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?

We must continue to find ways to connect food insecure people and households to locally produced farm products. Creating this local food system is a win for everyone. Efforts to support gleaning, farmer's markets, and other local food distribution to people who need it would all be things I would support.