SNAP disruption underscores need to strengthen New Jersey’s full, diverse food security infrastructure

Image merges the state of NJ with a partial screenshot from https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program. Graphic credit: Renee Johnston for Public Square Amplified.

Trenton, NJ - The New Jersey Food Democracy Collaborative commends state leaders and philanthropic partners for acting quickly when the first-ever disruption of federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits occurred this fall, helping coordinate emergency food access and stabilize many households. Yet this unprecedented event must result in more than short-term triage — it should serve as a turning point for how we think about food security in New Jersey.

As the state's food policy council with a deeply connected statewide network of farmers, food hubs, retail markets and businesses, grassroots community organizations, residents with lived experience, and emergency food providers, we saw firsthand how quickly the effects rippled through New Jersey’s food system. The SNAP pause revealed something fundamental: SNAP is not simply another hunger relief program; it is one of the most essential pillars of food security, economic stability, and community resilience in our state.

When more than 800,000 New Jerseyans lost access to their monthly nutrition benefits, the impacts reached far beyond food pantries. Small grocers in areas of high SNAP participation saw declining sales, farmers markets in places like Asbury Park and Passaic faced disruption,  and local producers had to scramble and innovate to move food through the supply chain. Nationwide, research shows that for every dollar in SNAP benefits, approximately $1.50 circulates back into the economy, which supports not just families, but also local retailers, distributors, and farmers. When this purchasing power is interrupted, entire local economies feel the strain.

Beneath the headlines and press releases, another story unfolded — one led by community organizations and businesses with deep connections to local farms and to anchor institutions in their communities. These actors operate in the middle of the food supply chain, linking producers to the places people access food every day.

We heard from groups across the state — Local Share/Foodshed Alliance in Warren County, C.R.O.P.S. in Atlantic City, Urban Agriculture Cooperative, M.E.N.D. in Essex County, City Green’s statewide SNAP incentive program, their philanthropic and corporate partners, and many others — that are quietly working with their local frontline partners to keep locally-sourced food moving to where it is most needed. These organizations and their networks were not included in the original funds allocated by the state to the six major food banks, yet they represent the continuous food security infrastructure that long-term, sustainable food access depends on.

During moments of crisis, public attention and funding often flow towards the major food banks. Their role is vital, but this concentration of resources can unintentionally overshadow the community-based and regional networks that form the foundation of a resilient food system, and when pressure mounts, can even sideline or derail programs designed for longer-term solutions. A truly resilient response must recognize and invest in the full range of partners that keep healthy, locally-produced food moving to all corners of the state.

The 2025 SNAP disruption offers several key lessons for New Jersey and beyond:

1. SNAP remains indispensable. SNAP is a federal program that puts purchasing power in the hands of vulnerable communities, preserving choice, flexibility, and dignity for families while generating powerful local economic impacts across the supply chain. This program is as much an investment in our farmers and businesses as it is a program for food access. 
   Food Democracy Collaborative partners have focused before, during, and after this crisis on expanding SNAP and increasing redemption rates on healthy, locally-grown foods. We call upon State and County governments, as well as NGOs, to enhance how much SNAP is being redeemed for locally-grown, raised, and made New Jersey products at farmers’ markets, food co-ops, and local independent food producers.

2. Local food infrastructure is a quiet strength, and needs to be enhanced.
   The relationships built among farmers, food hubs, healthcare systems, and local nonprofits since the COVID-19 pandemic proved essential during this crisis. Their innovation and adaptability are clear assets, deserving sustained attention and investment.

3. New Jersey must strengthen its fiscal readiness.
   Although the state did not cause this disruption, it must strengthen its capacity to respond in the future through fair, sustainable revenue-generating mechanisms that protect both families and the long-term food system.

4. Future responses must engage the entire food system.
   Governments and philanthropic leaders can build on this moment by designing more balanced and inclusive response strategies — ones that reach across the food supply chain and empower a broader range of stakeholders to act swiftly and equitably when crises arise. One example is building food hubs across the state that can support aggregation, entrepreneurship, and local distribution.

5. Preparation is crucial. At every scale, governments and organizations must formalize emergency response plans for any and all disruptions to the food system. This is where local food policy councils and cross-sector coalitions shine!

To move forward, New Jersey must strengthen its full food security infrastructure by:

• Investing in direct purchasing power for families through SNAP, Food and Nutrition Assistance Program Incentive programs like the Good Food Bucks program, debit-style assistance, and other tools that preserve choice and dignity.

• Supporting local food infrastructure that connects locally produced food to markets, schools, farmers markets, food hubs, and pantries.

• Scaling SNAP and FMNP incentive programs and Food is Medicine initiatives that increase purchasing power for under-resourced families while supporting local producers.

• Building fiscal capacity so New Jersey can respond to future crises without diverting funds away from long-term, systemic solutions.

The fall 2025 SNAP disruption must not become the new normal. Instead, it should be the moment that prompts investment in the full ecosystem that makes food access possible — from federal nutrition assistance to local farms and markets, and the many mission-driven community-based partners who connect them. New Jersey leadership now can be the model for how states nationwide prepare for the next food system disruption.

The New Jersey Food Democracy Collaborative (NJFDC) is the state’s independent nonprofit food policy council. It is composed of more than 300 member organizations representing every part of New Jersey’s food system. NJFDC informs, convenes, organizes, and advocates for a resilient, equitable, and prosperous food system for all New Jerseyans. To learn more about food policy councils, visit https://www.njfooddemocracy.org/foodpolicycouncils.

Many Voices, One Vision: Healthy Food & Farms for All.