The Hartford Food System

Current Publications · Historical Documents

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Current Publications:

What is the Hartford Food System? (updated regularly)

Founded in 1978, the Hartford Food System has been a pioneer organization in the community food movement. This fact sheet briefly describes our history, accomplishments, programs, and organizational structure.

Five Action Steps to Fight Hunger in Hartford (May 2007)

What should the Mayor and City Council be doing to fight hunger? This report by the Hartford Food Policy Advisory Commission recommends five action steps for city policymakers to expand access to safe and nutritious food.

Strategies that Work: Healthy Food Retailers in Hartford’s Neighborhoods (February 2007)

With diet-related diseases like diabetes and hypertension near epidemic levels in Hartford, what can local stores do to promote good nutrition? This report describes the Healthy Food Retailer Initiative, a partnership with corner markets and bodegas that is changing the type of food available on grocery shelves.

Food Insecurity in Connecticut: Strategies that Go Beyond the Traditional Responses (October 2006)

At a time when private charities are distributing more food than ever before and the Food Stamp Program is approaching a record number of participants, why is hunger in Connecticut still on the rise? This report examines strategies that go beyond traditional responses to food problems in low-income communities.

Connecticut’s Supermarkets: Can New Strategies Address the Geographic Gaps? (September 2006)

Why does a city the size of Hartford only have one full-size supermarket, while smaller towns like Manchester, Wallingford, and West Hartford have four or more? This report examines the locations of every supermarket in Connecticut as of June 2006, geocoding these addresses by census tract and using demographic and economic data from the 2000 Census to reveal important trends in how supermarket chains choose store locations.

Community Food Security in Connecticut: An Evaluation and Ranking of 169 Towns (September 2005)

How accessible and affordable is food in your town? This joint report by the Connecticut Food Policy Council, University of Connecticut, and Hartford Food System uses town-level data to rank each of Connecticut's 169 municipalities.

New Directions for Agricultural Policy in Connecticut (May 2003)

With farmland steadily being converted into tract housing and commercial developments, how can Connecticut support local agriculture to meet the state's food needs? This joint report by the Connecticut Food Policy Council, Northeast Sustainable Agricultural Working Group, and Hartford Food System examines 42 policy recommendations with accompanying model programs from other Northeastern states.

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