CPR Secures $150,000 “Healthy Food, Healthy Lives” Research Grant

ALBANY, N.Y. (November 29, 2021) — Announced by the New York State Health Foundation (NYSHealth), Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy’s Center for Policy Research (CPR) has been awarded $150,000 to support food systems research efforts. NYSHealth selected nine organizations from across the State for grant awards totaling more than $1.5 million in support of policies and programs that connect New Yorkers to healthy, affordable food.

The research team, consisting of Rockefeller College Associate Professor Luis Luna-Reyes, CPR Research Associate April M. Roggio, Geography and Planning Associate Professor Alexander Buyantuev, Information Technology Management Associate Professor Eliot Rich, and Johnson & Wales University Dean of the College of Food Innovation & Technology Jason R. Evans, will conduct research on food system localization efforts in New York municipalities and identify actionable steps to support vibrant food systems.

The project will fill a research gap by investigating the degree to which New York State municipalities have addressed local food system challenges; what guidance has helped communities transition to more localized, sustainable food systems; and the policy leverage points that are most effective.

This research project will address topics such as: whether municipal governments are currently employing food policies that are effective and deliberative; whether these policies reflect a long-term commitment to food systems that are affordable, equitable, and locally based; which policies and practices result in a successful transition to a more localized food system; and how State and federal food policies can better serve local municipalities. CPR will identify best practices and broadly disseminate research results to spur sustained and robust change in local food systems.

The Center for Policy Research (CPR), formally established in September 1987, addresses policy-relevant topics in the fields of international affairs, political science, public administration, and public policy. CPR serves multidisciplinary and cross-departmental needs at the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy and promotes the goal of increasing the University at Albany’s level of sponsored research activity. CPR supports fundamental research, applied research, and outreach activities.