Ocasio-Cortez Joins State and City Elected Officials to Celebrate Opening of GrowNYC’s New York State Regional Food Hub in the South Bronx

BRONX, N.Y. - Yesterday, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) joined GrowNYC, New York State officials, and project partners to celebrate the opening of the New York State Regional Food Hub (The Food Hub). The Food Hub is a first of its kind 60,000-square-foot cold-storage facility in the Hunts Point neighborhood of the Bronx.

“The New York State Regional Food Hub will allow GrowNYC to store fresh produce from our upstate farms at scale, making farm fresh food more accessible to schools, universities and more,” said Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. “Last year, we were able to secure $1,000,000 in Community Project Funding towards the establishment of this warehouse in Hunts Point. We are proud to celebrate its opening in our district and look forward to the role it will play in strengthening food access across NY-14 and beyond.”

“We’re beyond grateful for the vast support from City and State leaders that led to the completion of this state-of-the-art facility and that will advance our work promoting equitable food access in New York,” said Marcel Van Ooyen, President and CEO of GrowNYC. “Our Food Hub provides ample opportunities for GrowNYC and farmers to make a tangible impact on the everyday lives of underserved New Yorkers, and I’m hopeful it will serve as a scalable model for how cities across the United States can combat hunger while supporting local farm systems.” 

The mission-driven wholesale food facility will enable GrowNYC to dramatically increase the volume, quality and variety of locally-sourced, affordable produce it distributes by over 600 percent, from approximately 3 million pounds to 20 million pounds a year by 2034. Sourcing food directly from regional farms, The Wholesale Food Hub will offer a critical boost to New York’s agricultural economy and be a lifeline for farmers throughout the state

As food insecurity continues to grow in New York City, GrowNYC’s Food Hub will deliver an infusion of fresh, local produce to New Yorkers. Three out of five boroughs account for the highest levels of food insecurity in New York State with a staggering 39% of adults in the Bronx, 30.9% of adults in Queens and 30.1% of adults in Brooklyn self-reporting food insecurity. Inadequate access to food is a major public health threat, leading to an increased likelihood of chronic disease including hypertension, coronary heart disease, diabetes, asthma and other illnesses. The Food Hub will enable GrowNYC to reach even more New Yorkers by ​​expanding their partnerships with institutional buyers including city agencies, soup kitchens, senior centers, hospitals and schools. 

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