Photos by Michael Piazza

When the coronavirus slammed Massachusetts, it strained an already-delicate food system. Food banks saw a sharp rise in demand as restaurant owners watched theirs decline. Then-Mayor Marty Walsh launched a series of stopgap measures to fill the cracks before they widened into crevices.

Long after the last lockdown, Boston’s food system remains in critical condition. Thanks to the mayoral race, the City’s food policy has been thrust into the spotlight. Of the five candidates running (Andrea Campbell, Kim Janey, Michelle Wu, Annissa Essaibi George and John Barros) we managed to catch up with four before press-time so they could share their food policy platforms with Edible readers in print, but we were lucky enough to get all the candidates’ policies included here online. Among them is one who remembers growing up with little access to fresh food, relying on corner stores and fast-food outlets. To her, healthy food is a right, not a privilege.

Collectively they are touted as the most diverse crop of mayoral candidates to land on a Boston ballot, yet they come together on the topic of securing an equitable food policy. For weeks I called, texted, talked and emailed in rapid cycles as I tried to fulfill my mission: Get a statement, make a deadline. “Hello, I am writing for … Yes, the topic’s Boston’s food policy, that’s right ...” I repeated my request again and again. The candidates were always busy, speaking, working, strategizing. I started to wonder how they found time to even grab a snack. How did they fuel their bodies to keep pace? I wondered when they would return my call.

I imagined that a staffer would say, “She’s out to lunch right now …” but I knew that wasn’t the case. That’s when I cast my line one more time and thought I could hook them with a nonpolitical approach. So I said, “Tell us what’s in your refrigerator!”

By the time this story debuts in print, the group of five candidates will have narrowed to two following the September 14th primary; we thought all of their food policy plans were worth sharing in hopes that the eventual winner brings many of these ideas to City Hall in January.

ANDREA CAMPBELL

HER FOOD POLICY PLATFORM

Boston’s food system—including sourcing, production, processing, distribution, preparation and consumption of food—is inextricably linked with our city’s public health, economy and climate. Building a sustainable food system is a complex, intersectional challenge, one that requires focused investment and leadership from City Hall, partnership across sectors, a commitment to innovating new jobs and building a cleaner environment in Boston.

My plan to ensure food security in the city of Boston centers on five interconnected priorities:

• Establishing a dedicated Food Policy and Nutrition Division to establish our food system as critical public health infrastructure.

• Treating food as medicine by partnering with Boston’s leading healthcare and academic institutions and enabling them, along with food nonprofits and philanthropists, to scale solutions that connect residents with healthy, nutritious foods, stable long-term housing and high-quality jobs across all neighborhoods.

• Making healthy food affordable by closing the SNAP gap, expanding delivery and mobile access, and exploring a guaranteed Income pilot program for families most in need of financial support.

• Enabling our food economy to thrive and drive economic and health equity by investing in BIPOC businesses, creating quality jobs in food, supporting the hospitality industry and encouraging small food retail.

• Using our food system to protect our climate by expanding access to urban farming and municipal composting, making the necessary infrastructure investments and streamlining stakeholder coordination to ensure that Boston’s food system can withstand any emergency.

WHAT IS IN YOUR FRIDGE RIGHT NOW? Hummus, spinach, kale, lots of cheese, prosciutto, carrots, cooked chicken, my sons’ snack packs and their favorite fruits, pasta leftovers, a LOT of ice cream, Sip of Sunshine, yogurt.

DO YOU COOK? Yes!

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE DISH? Anything cooked by my mom, especially mac & cheese and coconut cake.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIST AS YOUR SEASONAL FAVORITE—FALL, WINTER, SPRING AND SUMMER? Fall: sweet potato pie. Winter: French onion soup. Spring: asparagus. Summer: sweet corn.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE RESTAURANT? 50Kitchen in Dorchester. (Read more about 50Kitchen in our Winter 2021 issue here.)

ACTING MAYOR KIM JANEY

HER FOOD POLICY PLATFORM

Growing up, I frequently experienced food insecurity because fresh food was not easy to find. I know what it’s like to rely on corner stores and sub shops for meals. Food policy touches everyone, and understanding the needs of Boston residents is a vital part of developing strategies to address food insecurity, especially as we emerge from the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic. I envision a bold recovery and an end to food insecurity by elevating food as a right, not a privilege, and supporting our small businesses.

Under my administration, the Office of Food Access (OFA) updated Boston’s Food Access Agenda for 2021 through 2023. The agenda is informed by the community engagement process led by Health Leads, a health equity-focused nonprofit that has worked in the Boston community for more than 20 years. The community engagement process brought together more than 100 Boston community residents, community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, health centers, mutual aid programs, academic institutions and local government staff to assess current food resources and needs in Boston.

The four themes of my agenda are:

• Improve affordability and accessibility of healthy and fresh foods.

• Encourage availability of culturally diverse food products.

• Increase public awareness of available food resources.

• Support and strengthen community-led solutions.

Through it all, our solutions must acknowledge our collective humanity and take into account the fear and mental health impacts of facing challenges in finding the basic needs to live a healthy and thriving life. There is much work to do. One solution that is close to my heart is community gardening and the use of open, public space to grow healthy, fresh food. Because of my schedule, I’m no longer able to give my garden the attention it deserves, but I count myself as a proud urban gardener and a huge proponent of growing your own food. We should get more of our children and more of our seniors involved in this joyful practice as much as possible across the city.

We cannot begin to properly recover from COVID-19 without supporting our restaurants, bodegas and small businesses. And my administration has done that, ensuring $1.7 million in City support for our restaurants, which includes the creation of an outdoor dining team to support those who want to take advantage of our open spaces and livable streets, and a marketing campaign to celebrate all that Boston has to offer. My administration has expanded commercial rent relief and small business support programs by another $16 million. This support is crucial to building a better Boston, post-COVID-19 and beyond.

WHAT IS IN YOUR FRIDGE RIGHT NOW? Right now, a loud echo! I haven’t been shopping in a couple of weeks. But here are my go-to’s: red grapes, Cara Cara oranges, Halo tangerines, grapefruit, free-range eggs, spinach, bell peppers and spring water.

DO YOU COOK? Not as much as I’d like to, but my specialties are macaroni and cheese, shrimp and grits, and sweet potato pie. I also love to cook salmon filets and jasmine rice.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE DISH? I could never pick just one. But in terms of favorite types, I love Mediterranean food and Thai food.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIST AS YOUR SEASONAL FAVORITE—FALL, WINTER, SPRING AND SUMMER? Sparkling cider around Thanksgiving, eggnog around the holidays.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE RESTAURANT? The great thing about Boston is that there are so many great restaurants. A few of my favorites are: Soleil, The Pearl, Bootleg Special, Merengue, Mida, Strega, Rincon Limeño—and this is an incredibly limited list. There are so many.

MICHELLE WU

HER FOOD POLICY PLATFORM

Food to me is about connection and community. When my mom began to experience mental health struggles, I opened a tea shop to support my family. The red tape and barriers I faced were what inspired me to run for office. My Food Justice Agenda outlines how the City of Boston can make real progress towards a food system that is equitable, resilient, just and supportive of small businesses and workers. We can invest in Boston’s food chain workers and support our small and independent restaurants, caterers and food businesses, as we begin to turn from this last year of disruption into an opportunity to build a food economy that is representative of all of Boston’s diversity. We can expand Boston residents’ access to fresh, nutritious, affordable and culturally relevant foods at farmers markets, bodegas and supermarkets. We can leverage the power of public procurement to deliver good food for Boston residents and create game-changing opportunities for diverse locally owned and operated businesses, driving change throughout our supply chains.

WHAT IS IN YOUR FRIDGE RIGHT NOW? Frozen dumplings and ice cream in the freezer!

DO YOU COOK? I love to cook when I can, but as we get closer to Election Day we’ve been short on time and so leaning more on our wonderful local restaurants for takeout lately.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE DISH? I have so many favorites depending on mood, but pho is a comfort food that I could delight in everyday.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIST AS YOUR SEASONAL FAVORITE—FALL, WINTER, SPRING AND SUMMER? Fall: freshly picked apples from the orchard. Winter: hearty stews. Spring: spring greens salad. Summer: strawberries.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE RESTAURANT? Too many to count—Dumpling Café is a go-to with the family, Zaz, Evergreen Eatery, Vejigantes, Ron’s for the best ice cream in the city.

ANNISSA ESSAIBI GEORGE

HER FOOD POLICY PLATFORM

Recognizing that inadequate access to food only widens opportunity and educational gaps for our kids, my work on the [Boston City] Council has continued to address food insecurity as a social determinant of health and education. As mayor, I’ll continue my advocacy to support students facing food insecurity by ensuring high-quality nutrition standards in Boston Public Schools, streamlining connections to food assistance programs and increasing partnerships with community organizations and food pantries. I will also strengthen the Mayor’s Office of Food Access and invest in and expand innovative resources such as the mobile food pantry to further combat food deserts in Boston.

As a small business owner myself, I know how devastating the past year has been for businesses small and large—and especially our restaurants. As mayor, I will simplify the path to opening and sustaining a small business, streamline City services, eliminate barriers for independent-, women- and minority-owned businesses and ensure entrepreneurs from every neighborhood have the centralized resources they need to build vibrant small business districts in their communities.

One way I’ll do this is by creating a New Business Liaison for each neighborhood that would meet with business owners on the ground to efficiently set up shop and serve as the point person for the City’s policies and resources. Their work would include helping BIPOC business owners connect with other knowledgeable
owners and facilitate resource-sharing.

WHAT IS IN YOUR FRIDGE RIGHT NOW? Takeout from Pat’s Pizza in Dorchester, leftover homemade couscous from a family dinner, a half bottle of wine and snacks for the kids.

DO YOU COOK? Yes.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE DISH? A family dinner roast.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIST AS YOUR SEASONAL FAVORITE—FALL, WINTER, SPRING AND SUMMER? Summer.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE RESTAURANT? D’Parma in East Boston.

JOHN BARROS

His food policy platform

My food policy platform is rooted in accessibility, affordability and celebrates our diverse cultures and communities throughout Boston. As Mayor, I will be intentional about increasing technical assistance to restaurants and food entrepreneurs, connecting residents with workforce development and training opportunities, building on work I did as Chief of Economic Development to create more affordable commercial space throughout our neighborhoods and ensuring that we are growing options for quality food in food deserts, neighborhoods and schools. Food brings everyone together, and we will all play a role in making sure Bostonians are eating well, growing more food options and can actively participate in Boston’s food ecosystem.

I will prioritize supporting the increase of healthy, accessible food throughout our neighborhoods, particularly those that have been underinvested in and are considered ‘food deserts.’ As Executive Director of the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative, I helped to create urban agriculture, a 10,000-square-foot greenhouse and community gardens so that residents could grow and have access to affordable, healthy food.

There is an abundance of corner stores throughout Boston, but they don’t always carry the most nutritious options. Often highly processed, sugary and salty snacks are stocked on shelves. But with a lack of grocery stores or transportation to supermarkets, for many, corner stores are their best option for grocery shopping. New York City faced a similar problem and developed the NYC Bodega Initiative. This program supported corner stores stocking more nutrient dense foods.

As Mayor, I intend to replicate relevant portions of the NYC Bodega Initiative to provide healthier options for residents without a grocery store readily available in their neighborhood, and will continue to support urban farming initiatives. These programs teach residents how to grow their own food and are often intergenerational and strengthen community bonds while improving neighborhood health.

I am very grateful for the work that Edible Boston does in highlighting the many restaurants and food entrepreneurs that our city has to offer. Highlighting this sector and focusing on uplifting those in the food industry who were hit the hardest, like women and immigrants, and the creative initiatives our residents are leading in our neighborhoods, will be crucial in helping drive forward my food policy. 

One of the biggest hurdles that restaurant owners in Boston face is lack of technical assistance for minority owned restaurants. Over the last few weeks I have visited several minority-owned establishments through my ‘What’s for Dinner?’ initiative and have heard a version of the same sentiment. Restaurant owners were aware and grateful for the financial support the city was providing during the pandemic, but many of them were unsure of how to apply or did not have the time to do so. As a city, we need to make sure that we are actively reaching out and informing restaurant owners of the opportunities and supports that are available to them. This involves bridging the digital divide among minority-owned restaurants and increasing language accessibility so that they are able to reap all the benefits that Boston has to offer.

The business interruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic displayed the importance of flexibility by all businesses. Although the pandemic hit our food industry hard, many of our favorite local restaurants were able to survive because of their adaptability to a new normal. From switching to takeout only and to go, to finding creative ways to serve their guests outdoors.

WHAT IS IN YOUR FRIDGE RIGHT NOW? Milk, almond milk, eggs, tons of fruits and vegetables, hummus, cold cuts, seltzer water, English muffins, cheese and yogurts! We like to keep it somewhat healthy. 

DO YOU COOK? Yes, I do.  

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE DISH? My favorite dish is from Cabo Verde, Katchupa!

WHAT WOULD YOU LIST AS YOUR SEASONAL FAVORITE—FALL, WINTER, SPRING AND SUMMER? I would have to say summer! Boston has so many community activities to choose from this time of year. As we recover from the pandemic and many of the programs that were cancelled last summer return, it has been a blast getting out in to the community and reconnecting with residents through the various summer activities and events that our city puts on. 

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE RESTAURANT? Can I pick two? Restaurante Cesaria, the first full service Cabo Verdean restaurant in Boston (and one I co-own), as well as Soleil in Nubian Square.

This story appeared in the Fall 2021 issue.