Since one in seven Kentuckians and one in five Kentucky children struggle with hunger, efforts to eradicate food insecurity in our cities has long been a focus. Thursday, a plan pitched by the Community Farm Alliance (CFA) would use tobacco settlement dollars to help families and farmers.

“This adds to family’s grocery budgets to be spent on Kentucky-grown food and putting money back into the pocket of farmers and keeping those dollars local. Economists estimate that for $1 a household redeems through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) generates $1.70 in economic activity,” said CFA Policy Campaign Coordinator Kimmie Ishmael.

Ishmael testified before the Interim Joint Committee on Agriculture about the Healthy Farm and Food Fund. It would set aside 1.5% of Kentucky’s annual Master Tobacco Settlement funds that food access programs using Kentucky-grown products can utilize to meet federal grant match requirements.

Each year, the Kentucky League of Cities teams up with the Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s Hunger Initiative to eradicate hunger in communities. The annual food packing events have fed thousands of families who would otherwise go without a healthy meal.