Mayor Michelle Wu today announced the appointment of Aliza Wasserman as Director of the Mayor’s Office of Food Justice (OFJ). The Office of Food Justice is tasked with building a local food system that is equitable, resilient, sustainable, and just. As director, Wasserman is charged with leading OFJ to make nutritious, affordable, and culturally appropriate food available to all Boston residents while accelerating climate action.
“In Boston, food must be a force for justice. Aliza’s expertise in public health and food policy will drive our work to make nutritious, culturally appropriate food more accessible to all residents and advance climate goals,” he said. said Mayor Michelle Wu. “I am thrilled to welcome Aliza back to city government and look forward to collaborating on policies and programs that nourish, connect, and enhance our communities.”
The Mayor’s Office of Food Justice focuses on five pillars to make nutritious, affordable food available in Boston. These include investing in Boston’s food economy, supporting Boston’s food chain workers, expanding access to affordable food that is also culturally and nutritionally appropriate, and leveraging public procurement to deliver good food for people. based in Boston and strengthening the supply chain, and strengthening the wider food alliance. system advocates and community members to advocate for city, state and federal policies.
“I am excited to join the team to advance Mayor Wu’s food justice agenda with the support of every part of city government,” said Aliza Wasserman. “As we build a more resilient, equitable city, the Office of Food Justice will work with Boston residents to advance a vision of food justice that acknowledges past injustices while building new systems that reflect our shared values.”
Originally from New York, Aliza found her home and commitment to serving the City of Boston during her six years as a Policy Analyst in Intergovernmental Relations for the Boston Public Health Commission. Aliza’s background is in public health and food policy, and she has spent the past seven years leading technical assistance, policy advocacy and program implementation work in Washington, DC with Green Wave, the National League of Cities, and the DC Greens. In Washington, Aliza has developed and advocated for federal policies that enable cities across the country to improve access to affordable fresh produce, including by offering fruit and vegetable supplements to prevent the chronic disease worsens. It has also provided a community of practice, training and tools for elected officials and local government workers across the country to disrupt the structural racism that is the cause of injustice in their cities.
During the disaster, she led Washington, DC’s new product program across the city to innovate by integrating home delivery, improving enrollment through the city’s Department of Aging, working with mutual aid organizations and adding production to dozens of community sites in the city, incorporating racial equity legislation into the vendor contract model of the program.
Aliza has a masters degree in Food Policy & Applied Nutrition and Public Health from Tufts University. She lives in Roslindale and enjoys its farmers market and longstanding small food businesses. In her spare time, Aliza enjoys every opportunity to spend time with her nieces and nephews.
“The Mayor’s Office of Food Justice is committed to Mayor Wu’s vision for a bold, equitable food system that provides nutritious food for all residents, while promoting the health of the planet and the local economy. ,” said Reverend Mariama White-Hammond, Head of Environment, Energy and Open Lands. “We are pleased with Aliza’s experience in the food justice field and look forward to working with her on our shared goals.”
In February, Mayor Wu reopened the Office of Food Justice — formerly the Office of Food Access — as part of the Environment, Energy and Vacancies Cabinet. Mayor Wu also announced the creation of GrowBoston: The Office of Urban Agriculture to increase food production throughout Boston and support local farmers and growers. Wasserman’s commitment expands on the Mayor’s commitment to improving the availability and affordability of nutritious food in Boston and strengthening local food systems to reduce the impact of the climate crisis.
The Office of Food Justice will work closely with GrowBoston in a shared effort to transform the local food system. This includes a partnership to provide low-income residents with garden beds through a $2.5 million ARPA investment. Recently, Mayor Wu and the Mayor’s Office of Food Justice announced more than 120 Boston Summer Food Program food sites opening on July 5, 2022, running throughout the summer. In addition, the Office of Food Justice is in its third year of participating in the Return to the Farmers Market program. The goal of the Farmers Market Coupon Program is to support families who do not qualify for federal and state programs, including but not limited to immigrants and refugees. This year, the Mayor’s Office of Food Justice partnered with more than 20 community-based organizations to distribute farmers market receipts to food-insecure families in Boston, including Allston-Brighton, Charleston, Chinatown, Dorchester, East Boston, Mattapan, Roslindale, Roxbury, and South Boston.
For more information on available food sources, visit here.
