Farm Bureau Submits Letter of Support on Property Tax Incentives for Grocery Stores Located in Food Deserts
Cook County Farm Bureau® supports Ordinance 22-5345 to create a Class 7d property tax incentive to spur and support the establishment or expansion of grocery stores in food deserts.
Earlier this year, Farm Bureau advanced a policy position to increase food access in Cook County and Illinois. A copy of the policy is provided below.
We encourage you to support Ordinance 22-5345 to incentivize the development of grocery stores located in food deserts. If CCFB can provide any assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact Bona at 815-979-5458 or via email at [email protected].
Food Access
Food insecurity occurs when food is either too distant or too expensive to purchase. A food desert is one type of food insecurity.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines a food desert as any census tract where at least 20 percent of the inhabitants are below the poverty line and 33 percent live over a mile or in rural areas more than 10 miles from the nearest supermarket.
We support:
- Incentives, including but not limited to, offering tax credits or breaks to grocery stores in underserved areas.
- Policy development to support grocery stores and neighborhood-based farmers’ markets.
- Simplifying the process for permitting and launching grocery stores.
- Programs to encourage heathy eating, food preparation, and proper food storage.
- Partnering with the community when selecting food desert measurements, policies, and interventions.
- Increasing the use of third-party and digital platforms for all approved Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) retailers providing that benefits are not used for service fees or delivery charges.
- Increasing SNAP approved food sales outlets.
- Food insecurity networks, like food banks, non-profit grocers, and produce carts.
- Farmer cooperatives to provide services such as crop marketing, distribution, guidance on partnering with food banks, and farmer training.
- The aggregation of farm products and partners to connect institutions, municipalities, school districts, hospitals, community-based organization, government agencies, and other groups to provide produce to families living in food deserts.
- Farms connecting directly with food banks, food recovery organizations, and other distributing nonprofits.
- Expanding the existing tax deduction for food donations to non-profits.
- Simplifying food pantry partnerships, expansions, and new development.