The Hunter College NYC Food Policy Center and Share Meals officially debuted their innovative Smart Pantry pilot this month at the Hunter College Silberman Campus in East Harlem.
The Smart Pantry is a software for vending machines that provides access to ready-to-eat meals and snacks as well as fresh produce for students in need. Beginning in February 2024, Hunter students may use their smartphones to obtain free, culturally appropriate, and nutritionally rich food from two Smart Pantries in the Silberman Student Lounge.
“With almost 40% of CUNY students reporting that they experience food insecurity, Hunter College is proud to launch this initiative to give them healthful food options,” said Hunter College President Ann Kirschner.
The Smart Pantries will extend the reach of Hunter’s existing food pantries, located at the main campus at 68th Street and the Brookdale campus downtown, to another 1,300 students at the Silberman campus in East Harlem, which houses Hunter’s School of Social Work and other programs. Other CUNY food pantries are open during set times; students may use the Smart Pantry during all hours that the Silberman Campus is open.
“The center endeavors to purchase healthful food and snacks from local minority and women-owned businesses, as well as identifying, through an equity lens, those farmers and producers from whom we purchase,” said Annette Nielsen, executive director of the Hunter College NYC Food Policy Center. “We know the impact in keeping dollars local and regional reverberates and amplifies throughout communities in the metropolitan region and throughout our state, strengthening our food system.”
One Smart Pantry will be stocked with appetizing, healthful choices of grab-and-go snacks, quick microwavable meals, and delicious shelf-stable, take-home stews and soups. These will be purchased wholesale from local producers such as upcycled food producer Matriark Foods, whose mission is to get some of the roughly 33 million tons of perfectly healthy vegetables that never make it to the table on the plates of the hungry.
“A staggering amount — almost 30 to 40% — of nutritious food never leaves the farm for so many reasons, and all of that food could be used to feed people experiencing food insecurity,” said Anna Hammond, Matriark Foods’ founder.
The refrigerated Smart Pantry model will consist of fresh fruits and vegetables, from organizations such as GrowNYC – and partially stocked from the campus’s first community container garden, opening this spring. Other planned items include a selection of sandwiches, soups, salads, etc. purchased from Maiden Voyage Catering at e.terra Kitchen in East Harlem, an incubator space for food entrepreneurs.
“e.terra Kitchen and our catering division, Maiden Voyage Catering, are proud to support the Hunter College NYC Food Policy Center & Share Meals’ Smart Pantry Initiative,” said co-founder and CEO, Bella Karakis. “By providing nutritious, locally made meals for the Silberman Campus Smart Pantry in East Harlem, we are helping with community health, while amplifying the talents of local food entrepreneurs and small businesses.”
Cooking classes will be offered at Silberman during the semester. Students will learn menu planning techniques, ensuring food safety and efficient use of ingredients, while minimizing food waste and creatively repurposing leftovers. The classes will emphasize shopping on a budget and will use ingredients from the Smart Pantry and the container garden. Each class will include hands-on preparation of a meal or snack for students to share with classmates. With classes scheduled throughout the semester, students will have ample opportunities to enhance their culinary skills and develop sustainable cooking habits.
The Smart Pantry mitigates stigma by allowing students to use the pantries during off hours to respect students’ privacy. Hunter College students scan a QR code for access. The Smart Pantry app monitors data on the time, place, and items received to help universities better direct their limited resources and reduce waste. Through the app, users take a survey before using the machine to better understand their level of food security.
The center and Share Meals sees the Smart Pantry as a pivotal turning point in the future of food equity in colleges and other institutions. This prototype phase at Hunter, beginning in February 2024, is a trial period for research and data collection to prove the efficacy of Smart Pantry technology.
The Smart Pantry’s debut introduces a new approach to ensuring equitable food security among university students. Share Meals and the Hunter College Food Policy Center envision scaling this revolutionary solution to other US universities, fostering a learning environment where every student has access to nourishing meals.
About Hunter College NYC Food Policy Center:
The Hunter College New York City Food Policy Center develops intersectoral, innovative and evidence-based solutions to prevent diet-related diseases and promote food security in New York City and other urban centers. The Center works with policy makers, community organizations, advocates and the public to create healthier, more sustainable food environments and to use food to promote community and economic development. Through interdisciplinary research, policy analysis, evaluation and education, we leverage the expertise and passion of the students, faculty and staff of Hunter College. The Center aims to make New York City a model for smart, fair food policy.
About Share Meals:
Share Meals is a trailblazing organization dedicated to eradicating food insecurity by leveraging innovative technology and community partnerships. Through their Smart Pantry and other established digital platforms, Share Meals strives to create a more equitable world where no student goes hungry.
