Feeding L.A.

Creating a better way to get food to hungry families during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond—with a first-of-its-kind food system map.

USC Launched 2020

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Impact

Millions of Angelenos have been able to put healthy food on the table thanks to the food insecurity research we’ve shared with L.A. County officials since the height of the pandemic—informing early programs like the COVID Food Assistance Grant and subsequent efforts like the Food Equity Roundtable Action Plan. This work also helped shape the development of our public food system map, designed to guide smarter, data-informed support moving forward. Our research has informed:

10 M pounds of food delivered to families during the COVID lockdown

5 new L.A. policies created to feed more people

Challenge

L.A. officials needed a better way to see which neighborhoods needed support during the COVID-19 pandemic, so they could get emergency food programs up and running. Today, with over a quarter of Angelenos struggling to get healthy food on a regular basis, the mission is the same: providing key data to partners getting food to the people who need it.

Our Plan

We’ve published briefs and reports since COVID detailing which groups of Angelenos and areas of L.A. County have most needed food interventions and support. We’ve also built a food system map to track how food moves through the county with a team of scientists, local leaders, and community partners. By combining local insight with new data tools, we’re showing decision-makers the gaps in the system—and helping them take action before people slip through the cracks.

Project Goals

Create a clearer way to see the problem

We’ve built a live model of L.A.’s food system to uncover new data and better understand how people get food—especially during a crisis.

Help officials get food to the right places

We’ve shared this real-time food system map and related reports with local leaders to show where people need help—so they can act faster.

Approach

We’ve combined stakeholder insights, agency input, public resources, and new data from partners like Yelp and findhelp.org to document and map the countywide food system—and provide new ways to understand how and where people access healthy food.