Justin Schoville

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?

Ideally, the state would provide food to its citizens as a human right. To that end, I would do my best to provide healthy food to all Vermonters.

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

I am in favor of all of these programs [creating the Universal School Meals program to ensure all children in Vermont have access to breakfast and lunch every school day, making local foods more accessible through programs like Crop Cash, Farm Share, and Vermonters Feeding Vermonters, and establishing the Farm & Forestry Operations Security Special Fund] as they create incentives for maintaining local farming and provide a demand for fresh local foods.

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

I think the erosion of purchasing power by inflation and the high cost of living (in general) contributes to hunger and malnutrition. There may (depending on the location) be an issue with access to healthy foods vs unhealthy ones, where unhealthy foods are easier to access. In addition, I think most people are overwhelmed with trying to stay afloat and support their existing obligations to be concerned about their diet. The government should encourage local and healthy food distribution to support local farmers and protect existing farmlands.

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 in favor of maintaining current use to reduce the tax burden on farmers and to preserve our working lands. I am also in favor of increasing the purchasing power of the poorest in our state to allow Vermont farmers, their workers, and consumers the ability to produce healthy food, maintain their farms, and give consumers the means to purchase healthier food.