Collective Action for Good Food for All

Written by Natasha Wasim MPH PhD(c) Senior Food Systems Analyst, LAFPC

Food Policy Councils & Why They Exist

Food systems change in Los Angeles cannot happen through isolated programs alone. While food banks, urban farms, school nutrition programs, and small business initiatives all play vital roles, the scale and complexity of food insecurity in our region demand a more coordinated, structural approach. To transform how food is grown, distributed, accessed, and governed across the Los Angeles region, we need strong community coalitions. That is why organizations like the Los Angeles Food Policy Council are essential to advancing equitable food systems change.

A Food Policy Council (FPC) is defined by the Food Policy Networks project at the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future as:

This definition highlights what makes Food Policy Councils powerful: they bring together diverse stakeholders and focus specifically on policy and systems-level change.  In a region of more than 10 million residents, 88 cities, and vast unincorporated areas, food-related decisions are made across multiple agencies and jurisdictions. Without coordination, even the best efforts can remain fragmented. Coalitions provide a shared table for alignment, strategy, and collective action.

For leaders and practitioners, Community Coalition Action Theory (CCAT) offers a helpful framework for understanding why this model works. CCAT explains that coalitions are most effective when they unite organizations and community members around a shared vision, formalize leadership structures, build trust, and coordinate resources toward systems change. Rather than competing for limited funding or duplicating services, coalition members align their expertise and influence. Over time, this alignment produces outcomes that no single organization could achieve on its own.

Los Angeles is a clear example of why this matters. Food insecurity, diet-related chronic disease, land access inequities, and food labor injustices are not random problems. They are shaped by policies, zoning decisions, procurement systems, and historic disinvestment in communities of color. Addressing these root causes requires more than expanding food distribution; it requires shifting the policy and environmental conditions that shape food access. Research supports this approach. A 2021 national study found that municipalities with a local or regional Food Policy Council were more likely to report having policies that support healthy food access for residents. Although Food Policy Councils are not common nationwide, their presence was associated with stronger policy environments. This finding underscores that coalitions are not just discussion forums; they are linked to tangible structural support. 

For Los Angeles, this guidance is especially relevant. Environmental factors, such as limited access to full-service grocery stores, the higher cost of healthy foods, and a lack of green spaces for physical activity, contribute to diet-related disease and health disparities. These conditions are embedded in the built environment and local policy decisions. A single organization cannot simultaneously reform zoning codes, influence county procurement standards, advocate for fair wages, and support local producers. A coalition can.

The Los Angeles Food Policy Council operates as that coordinating backbone. By convening stakeholders from agriculture, public health, labor, emergency food, economic development, environmental justice, and community-based organizations, it creates a shared platform for strategy. Many food policy councils across the U.S. work to advance healthy, equitable, and sustainable food systems. LA Food Policy Council’s Good Food for All Agenda contributes to this broader national effort with a comprehensive, regularly updated platform that actively incorporates community voices into local policy planning. 

Good Food for All Agenda

Our Good Food for All agenda connects producer viability, worker justice, environmental sustainability, and equitable food access into one cohesive framework. This system's orientation reflects CCAT principles: shared goals, formal governance, pooled resources, and collective advocacy. When unified through a coalition, collective voice carries greater weight. This amplification can shift narratives, influence budget allocations, and inform legislative action.

Equally important is representation. Los Angeles is one of the most culturally diverse regions in the country. Food is deeply tied to culture, immigration histories, and neighborhood identity. Community coalitions create structured opportunities for residents and grassroots leaders to shape policy agendas. This participatory governance strengthens trust and ensures that solutions are culturally responsive and grounded in lived experience. Coalitions also promote sustainability and accountability. Under CCAT, effective coalitions develop clear leadership structures, transparent decision-making processes, and shared evaluation metrics. This structure ensures continuity even as individual organizations face funding cycles or leadership transitions. It also builds a culture of accountability, where members are responsible not only to funders but to one another and to the communities they serve.

For community-based audiences, the takeaway is clear: community coalitions are not an optional layer added onto food systems work. They are essential infrastructure. In Los Angeles, the scale of inequity requires a scale of coordination. The Los Angeles Food Policy Council provides the cross-sector table where shared vision becomes shared strategy, and where shared strategy can become lasting systems change. For organizations committed to advancing health equity and food justice, investing in and engaging with community coalitions is not just beneficial; it is necessary.

Read our previous Good Food for All Agendas: Good Food for All Agenda 2010 and Good Food for All Agenda 2017

Natasha Wasim is a food equity researcher with extensive experience across public and private sectors. Currently pursuing her fourth degree in public health, with a Master’s from Yale, she focuses on food insecurity solutions at USC. Natasha recently served as Program Manager of the Los Angeles County Food Equity Roundtable, where she played a key role in developing a Strategic Plan recognized at the 2022 White House Conference. She has also worked on SB 1383 as an Environmental Specialist in Riverside County and as an Environmental Data Associate at Disney, supporting sustainability goals. Natasha is committed to advancing equitable food systems and public health.