Official Site of The State of New Jersey

The New Jersey Office of the Food Security Advocate (OFSA) is currently the only food security advocacy office in the United States that is placed in the highest level of state government, the Governor’s Office. Under the leadership of Governor Murphy and Speaker Coughlin, legislation was drafted to create OFSA in 2021 and the office began its work in September 2022.  

OFSA, established by N.J.S.A. 52:27J-3, is responsible for, among other things: 

• cooperating with research organizations and universities to monitor ongoing gap analysis that identifies areas that are underserved by current food insecurity programs 
• working with State and community partners to develop a strategic plan to address identified gaps in areas that are underserved by current food insecurity programs 
• overseeing the development and implementation of public-private partnerships to address food insecurity 
• coordinating stakeholders to establish a school meals strategy for the state 

The office focuses its work on four areas: supporting state agencies in conducting food security work, supporting the advancement of policy that is aligned with ongoing food security work, collaborating with the philanthropic sector, and supporting and participating in community-driven food security work.  

OFSA is physically located in and supported by the NJ Department of Agriculture.  

The vision of OFSA is to create positive outcomes in food security in the state of New Jersey through collaborative efforts with multi-sector stakeholders that are driven by strong research, evaluation, and community-driven program design. OFSA will achieve this vision by supporting state agencies, advancing food security policy, creating consensus and collaboration in the philanthropic sector, and advocating for and supporting collaborative and community-driven actions and programming in the state.