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Although it may not be apparent to many people, food insecurity rates in Massachusetts are rising. To put it simply, food insecurity is the idea that someone is not able to get enough food that they need to live a happy and healthy life. Unfortunately, according to The Greater Boston Food Bank, a whopping 40% of households, equivalent to 1.1 million, were food insecure in 2025. The issue becomes clearer with the realization that these numbers have more than doubled since 2019, when the rate of food insecurity was at 19%. This problem is mainly caused by rising inflation that has elevated to levels that leave families not being able to buy enough food.
The problems with food insecurity must be solved before even more people experience hunger. One solution to this issue is more support and resources for local non-profit food organizations like the Sudbury Food Pantry. Sadly, it is virtually impossible to have enough food for all of those people who are food insecure at the current moment. This is where bill H.5280, which is currently pending in the Massachusetts legislature, comes in.
At the moment, both the state Senate and House of Representatives are working on a compromised version of bill H. 5280. Regarding food insecurity, Section 7 of H.5280 speaks to the idea of tax credits for farm businesses that donate fresh produce to non-profit organizations such as food banks. This tax credit will reduce the amount of income tax that farmers must pay by an amount of money proportional to how much food is donated ($5,000 maximum). This credit will give an incentive to farmers to donate their food, and the more food donated to organizations such as the Sudbury Food Pantry, the more food there will be available to families in need. Additionally, food waste will be reduced because farmers will stop getting rid of their excess food and start putting it to good use.
Some people may argue that it’s too expensive to put this tax credit into play, as transportation and harvesting costs are significant. However, the long term benefits of the tax credit inside of Bill H. 5280 far outweigh the cost. In fact, according to Jane Young, a certified financial planner, healthier people are able to focus more on their career, resulting in a more successful performance at work. People who eat fresh food also have a reduced risk of chronic diseases such as cancers and diabetes. In addition, eating enough food supports brain development for children, along with healthy growth and immunity. If this bill is passed, food banks will receive more food, particularly healthier, fresh food, which will allow people to start thriving more in areas that they’d like to.
We urge you to reach out to your local representatives about food insecurity and stand up for what you believe is right. Please write or call Senator Jamie Eldridge and representative Carmine Gentile to make your voice heard and get our message out. Food insecurity is a serious issue in Massachusetts, and if we don’t do anything about it now the rates will just continue to increase. The tax credit provided by H. 5280 can begin to fix this issue. Together we can use our voices to keep spreading awareness about the growing problem of food insecurity and, most importantly, make sure that everyone in our state is able to have the food that their bodies need.