Nearly 900,000 Minnesotans, including over 200,000 children, live in areas where they don’t have access to “the basics” —fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy, whole grains, and lean meats and poultry. That is unacceptable. Sign the petition asking your lawmakers to support the Good Food Access Fund which will help bring healthy food to all Minnesotans Where a person lives in Minnesota shouldn’t determine whether or not they have access to healthy food options.

Without access to good and essential foods, people are forced to rely on diets made up of heavily processed foods that lack the nutrients to help children grow up strong or adults stay healthy. This problem means that residents, particularly those in lower-income communities, face much greater challenges finding fresh produce and other foods necessary to maintain a healthy diet. This limited access to healthy foods also results in disproportionately high rates of obesity, diabetes, and other diet-related health problems which contributes to the estimated $2.8 billion each year Minnesota spends on obesity-related healthcare costs.

Please sign this petition and urge your lawmakers to support the Good Food Access Fund which will help bring affordable, healthy food to communities across our state. This funding will also help decrease health care costs and stimulate economic development in rural and urban underserved communities across Minnesota.