Food Security and Nutrition

Description

On a daily basis, over one million Los Angeles County residents face the enormous struggle of putting adequate food on the table - much less good food. At the same time, and for many of the same families, the consumption of too many cheap calories has fueled an obesity and diabetes epidemic. To address these twin crises, the Los Angeles Food Policy Council’s Food Security and Nutrition Working Group is advancing strategies to improve the affordability of good, healthy food for all Angelenos.

The focus of the Working Group is to expand the reach of existing federal nutrition assistance programs, as well as identify innovative ways to connect food assistance to farmers' markets.  The group is also working to improve the quality and quantity of food available to the children enrolled in the Los Angeles Unified School District’s food service programs.

The priorities of the LAFPC Food Security & Nutrition Working Group include:

• Increase awareness in the media and among the participants of the Los Angeles Food Policy Council about food insecurity, hunger and the challenges facing families struggling to afford good food.
• Strengthen partnerships to expand enrollment in CalFresh.
• Increase the acceptance of federal benefits at farmers markets, including CalFresh, WIC, and Universal EBT cards. Also expand the coverage of veggie voucher programs, which double the purchasing power of low-income residents.
• Support the City of Los Angeles and the L.A. Unified School District in the implementation of the Food Rescue Ordinance. Educate local businesses and emergency food providers on how to participate in surplus food programs.

Co-Chairs: Michael Flood, Matt Sharp