The Healthy Food Retail Working Group’s main focus is developing an exciting, new, community-driven, multifaceted initiative to improve access to healthy foods, and to limit the proliferation of unhealthy foods in communities of color. Our goal is to examine the accessibility of local food in South Los Angeles, assess the health impacts and economic well-being of many low-income and communities of color in Los Angeles, and explore innovative policy solutions underway to transform these areas into a healthy food retail environment.
Our working group utilizes policy, economic development and community organizing tools to ensure that every community enjoys nutritious, affordable, safe, culturally meaningful, and delicious food. We are committed to grassroots, community-driven development and leadership, coupled with planning and alliance building to create and sustain a demand for healthy food retail.
One example of a healthy food retail project is the Community Market Conversion (CMC) Program run by the Community Redevelopment Agency of Los Angeles (CRA/LA). CMC strives to expand access to nutritious food and revitalize the food retail environment in underserved neighborhoods by converting convenience stores into healthy food community markets.
- Create a solid infrastructure and support system for smaller scale markets to effectively compete for and sustain their small business. For example, store-owners in the Community Market Conversion program are considering joining forces to make bulk purchases which would allow them to compete with the low prices of big chain stores.
- Supporting the CMC program through community engagement and mass outreach strategies.
- Supporting the Fresh Works Fund by conducting market related research and conducting walk programs.
- Creating a model/case study or “best practices” framework for the CMC program that can be utilized by other public/private partnerships that increase access to healthy food.
- Establishing an equity framework of the LAFPC working groups to ensure it is a central part of all work projects.
Co-Chair: Tanishia Wright
image: emilyhartphotography.com