The board of the N.J. Economic Development Authority approved the creation of the FEED NJ, a $30 million pilot program that will support food security projects in New Jersey’s Food Desert Communities with grants of up to $500,000.
The program, which aims to build on the success of the EDA’s Atlantic City Food Security
Grants Pilot Program, will award grants to for-profit and nonprofit entities working to improve residents’ ability to access fresh, affordable and healthy food.
The EDA will host a FEED NJ information and application webinar Jan. 27 at 2 p.m.
The webinar will provide further details on program specifics, eligibility requirements, and
applications. To register for the webinar, click here.
Gov. Phil Murphy was thrilled the program will be started.
“Expanding access to healthy and affordable food in every New Jersey community is crucially important to the continued economic security and health of our state,” he said.
“The projects that will receive grant funding through FEED NJ will increase availability of
affordable food in the communities that need it most, alleviating the strain on families and
creating a stronger and fairer New Jersey.”
Applicants to FEED NJ must primarily focus their projects on serving residents of the highest-need FDCs, which are spread across eight counties, comprise portions of 11 municipalities, and are home to 567,349 residents.
Four cities — Camden, Newark, Trenton, and Paterson — are represented more than once, encompassing 10 of the top FDCs.
Applicants may also elect to serve additional FDCs, provided the primary focus remains on at least one of these 14 FDCs. Atlantic City/Ventnor, the second-highest ranked FDC, is excluded from this list as it is the sole focus of NJEDA’s existing Atlantic City Food Security Grants Pilot Program.
EDA CEO Tim Sullivan feels the program will have great impact.
“Under Gov. Murphy’s leadership, the NJEDA is focused on supporting those living in New
Jersey’s Food Desert Communities by creating innovative programs that increase access to
nutritious, affordable food and support local organizations committed to ending hunger,” he said.
“FEED NJ expands the NJEDA’s robust toolkit of programs that bolster food security in the
state, improving the well-being of countless families, uplifting communities, and contributing to economic vitality.”
The EDA’s list of New Jersey’s 50 FDCs, which was created in consultation with the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs and the New Jersey Department of Agriculture and approved by the NJEDA Board in 2022, considers more than 24 variables related to the food retail environment, demographics, and economic, health, and community factors.
A full list and map of all 50 FDCs is available on the FEED NJ website.
FEED NJ is funded with $30 million in proceeds from the NJEDA’s 2023 and 2024 Food Desert Relief Tax Credit Auctions, which were authorized by the Food Desert Relief Act of 2021.
