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Zohran Mamdani, the Mayor of New York City (NYC), has appointed Siddhartha Sanchez, a lifelong vegan and environmentalist, to direct food policy.
Mamdani has pledged to overhaul the city’s access to nutritious and affordable food, and as the new executive director of the Mayor’s Office of Food Policy (MOFP), Sanchez will advise Mamdani on all issues related to NYC’s food system.
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According to the NYC Mayor’s Office, Sanchez is a lifelong vegan and advocate for food justice in the city. For more than 20 years, his work has centered on racial, environmental, and economic justice. He is also a family chef and avid gardener.
“I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve the people of New York City – the city I grew up in and have dedicated my career to,” Sanchez said. “Food security is inseparable from racial and economic justice, and for too many New Yorkers – especially in low-income communities of color – access to healthy, affordable food remains out of reach.”
Sanchez joined the MOFP from the Bronx River Alliance, and the Mayor’s Office described his background as including over “two decades of experience in nonprofit leadership, government philanthropy, and community-based food systems.”
In 2009, the Bronx River Alliance completed the Concrete Plant Park project, which turned the abandoned and rubbish-filled site of a former industrial plant into a scenic, sustainable, and accessible public space. Concrete Plant Park notably includes the Bronx River Foodway, a half-acre edible food forest for foraging and harvesting.
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‘New Yorkers are struggling to put healthy food on the table’
Mamdani has described food insecurity as a systemic issue, and his flagship policy is to build and operate five city-run grocery stores stocked with affordably priced food essentials. These stores will specifically focus on NYC’s known food deserts.
“New Yorkers are struggling to put healthy food on the table while grocery prices continue to rise. Building a city that people can afford means building a food system that works for everyone,” Mamdani said.
“Siddhartha Sanchez has spent his career fighting for food justice, strengthening community-led solutions and expanding access to healthy food,” he added. “Food access is an economic justice issue, and I am proud to welcome him to this administration, as we work to ensure that every New Yorker has access to food as a basic human right.”
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