The Heroic Work of José Andrés During the Coronavirus Crisis
The chef shares some ideas on how to address the emerging hunger and food challenges during Covid-19
So I also talked to chef José Andrés today. He’s been trying to avoid catastrophe by keeping America fed in this health crisis. He’s my hero. And for me, working on health has inevitably led me to food.
Here’s what I learned:
- 40 million Americans are either hungry or on he edge of hunger
- Chef worries that number can grow even bigger
- Plenty of food is coming out of the ground but it can’t get distributed
- Food banks don’t have adequate refrigeration
- USDA’s $3 billion for food banks (which I was excited about) is short of what’s needed by a factor of 10
- Big winner of these funds is often PepsiCo and Coca-Cola
- Lack of refrigeration can turn food banks into Snackfood Banks while fresh food sits in the ground
- $16 billion in farmer subsidies so far exclude small farmers (the bill today may have helped) — 1000s of farms could be lost
- Public housing breeding ground for Covid spread
- The current bill left out nutrition help and SNAP — “Specialty crops” excluded. What are specialty crops? Carrots, green beans — exotic things like that
- Massive problems brewing south of border as migrant workers shut out and can’t earn
- There Will be significant unrest
- Restaurant distribution not being repurposed for grocery so getting mulched
Chef had a lot of ideas. But he’s my hero because of what he’s doing. Here’s a quote from me that happened to be in yesterday’s Chicago Tribune. The question was one I sometimes get about my interest in political office.
But there is a ton more:
- He caters 250,000 people every day
- He’s keeping 496 restaurants open by paying them between $6 and $10/meal for people
- He’s creates a video of restaurant protocols so they can remain open to cater
- He’s got protocols to help restaurants safely open
- He’s feeding people in 400 hospitals
- He’s bringing in shipments of N-95 masks and full protection gear
- He’s then distributing masks and equipment to hospitals
As I’m talking to him, he’s getting on planes and still flying places that are hot spots, to be sure people are fed on the ground. Often times through his non-profit organization, World Central Kitchen. Every time he sees a problem — whether it’s in his “lane” or not — he just starts solving it. This is why we’re talking.
He worries most people don’t see the size of the hunger crisis coming. And he, like I try to do, works the phones all day long — the Administration, USDA, kitchens, restaurants, food banks, distributors, farmers. So he has ideas.
- He wants USDA sponsored food markets and farmers’ markets in food scare locations
- Much more funding for SNAP, usable at all restaurants
- Public health experts and officials in all public housing (I add nursing homes, food plants, and prisons to this idea)
After talking to him, and learning more about all he is doing to address one of our greatest challenges during this crisis, José Andrés is even more of a hero to me.
