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COVID-19 and the LA County Food Equity Roundtable

Just a little background:

The United Nations Universal Declaration on Human Rights (Article 25) and the UN General Assembly International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (Article 11) underline this fundamental principle that food access is a "basic human right". The COVID-19 crisis has brought strong attention to some dramatic failures in our food system, especially the widespread food insecurity, hunger, famine and the poor treatment of and high risks for workers.


A seat at the "Pre-Pandemic" table:

Before the pandemic hit, Los Angeles County was already grappling with a severe food insecurity crisis. Shockingly, 1 in 10 Angelenos, nearly one million people, were impacted by food insecurity. This statistic alone is a stark reminder that the problem of hunger was not new but deeply entrenched in our community.


A seat at the "Racial Disparities" table:

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the racial disparities that had long existed within our food system. In 2020, approximately 4 out of every 10 Latino and/or Black households reported food insecurity. This rate was nearly twice as high as that for white households. The systemic biases and injustices in our society became evident, as marginalized communities were disproportionately affected by the pandemic's economic and health consequences.


While there has been some improvement in food insecurity since the height of the pandemic, the battle is far from won. In 2021, more than 1 in 4 low-income households in Los Angeles County still faced food insecurity. Certain areas within LA County bear the brunt of food insecurity more than others. Neighborhoods in the Antelope Valley, East LA, and South LA Service Planning Areas lack sufficient access to grocery stores and food assistance programs. These so-called "food deserts" exacerbate the problem, making it even more challenging for residents to secure consistent access to sufficient food.

A really cool Nonprofit we like is:

The LA County Food Equity Roundtable mission is: To implement cross-sector solutions to achieve food and nutrition security in L.A. County with a focus on underserved communities.

  • Enabling food justice with enhanced access, affordability, and consumption of nutritious food;

  • Advancing equitable impact of food public benefits and food distribution programs;

  • Generating political and financial support to build food systems that are resilient, sustainable, and equitable.

taken from https://foodequityroundtable.lacounty.gov/ Equity, in this context, represents a commitment to fairness and justice. It means that public policy should treat people uniquely to account for different circumstances and the resulting need for government assistance. Equity is often associated with achieving equal outcomes for all individuals. The Food Equity Roundtable's goals include: 1. Procedural Equity: Empowering individuals to have control over the types of food they produce, access, and consume. This means respecting personal choices and preferences. 2. Distributional Equity: Ensuring that different communities have equal access to food resources. No community should be disproportionately affected by food insecurity or lack of access to nutritious options. 3. Structural Equity: Investing in communities that have historically been neglected or divested from. By directing resources to these communities, we can begin to address long-standing disparities. 4. Transgenerational Equity: Building a food system that is sustainable not just for the present but for future generations as well. This means considering the environmental impact of our food production and distribution methods. A seat at LA County Food Equity Roundtable's accomplishments:

  • Identified more than 50 key measures that need to be taken to improve food access and build a more resilient food system throughout L.A. County

  • Determined 14 priority population segments that are disproportionately more vulnerable to food insecurity, from immigrant to transgender communities

  • Analyzed mobility and transportation barriers to food security and reviewed best practices deployed in other regions to enhance transit access

  • Explored technology and data solutions to modernize outdated food systems, such as a University of Southern California-led portal to map all food-related resources and “last-mile” support services in underserved L.A. County neighborhoods

copied from https://foodequityroundtable.lacounty.gov/

Food insecurity, a crisis that predates the pandemic, has only been exacerbated by it. It's a stark reminder that we have work to do to create a more just and equitable society. By addressing food insecurity as a priority and focusing on dismantling the systems that perpetuate racial disparities, we can take a significant step toward building a better future for all Angelenos.


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