Feeding L.A.’s hungry families
Creating a better way to get food to hungry families in L.A. County—with a first-of-its-kind food system map.
USC Launched 2020
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Partners
We brought together a unique group of partners to help keep Angelenos fed during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
At the height of the pandemic, we engaged Yelp, findhelp.org, the LA Regional Food Bank, the Los Angeles Food Policy Council, and more to generate critical data on how Angelenos get food on their plates countywide—and help L.A. launch emergency food programs in the communities that needed them most.
Our insights helped guide the distribution of millions of pounds of food and COVID relief funds across the nation’s most populous county. Now, as too many Angelenos still lack reliable access to healthy food, we’re launching a first-of-its-kind food system map with the LA County Office of Food Systems—giving local leaders the data they need to reach more people, and providing a template for addressing food system challenges that could be adopted nationwide.
“At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we knew food insecurity was widespread, but we lacked clarity on where it was most severe and which groups were most affected. The timely and frequent data from the USC Dornsife Public Exchange gave us that insight, allowing us to respond quickly and effectively to community needs.”
Dipa Shah-Patel
Director, Nutrition & Physical Activity Program, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health
Meet the project team
John Fanning
Project Manager
Katie Vega
Community Engagement Specialist
Kayla de la Haye
Lead Researcher
Professor, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health and Director of USC Food Systems Institute
“Five years of research show that food insecurity in Los Angeles isn’t a short-term crisis—it’s a structural challenge shaped by high living costs, policy decisions, and the strength of our food system…Recent investments are improving access to nutritious food, but lasting progress will require continued, coordinated action across communities and food sectors so every Angeleno can reliably afford healthy, culturally relevant food—no matter what challenges arise.”
Research team
John Wilson
Co-Principal Investigator
Professor of Sociology and Spatial Sciences and Founding Director
Wändi Bruine de Bruin
Co-Principal Investigator
Provost Professor of Public Policy,
Director, Behavioral Science and Policy Initiative
Price School of Public Policy & Dornsife Psychology
Bruce Lee
Co-Principal Investigator
Professor and Executive Director, Center for Advanced Technology and Communication in Health (CATCH)
Health Policy & Management
Abigail Horn
Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering
Viterbi Information Sciences Institute
Jose Scott
Postdoctoral Researcher
USC Schaeffer Center
Beau MacDonald
GIS Project Administrator
Dornsife Spatial Sciences Institute
Natasha Wasim
PhD Researcher
Dornsife Center for Economic and Social Research
Katherine Baker
Postdoctoral Researcher
Price School of Public Policy
Angela Zhang
PhD Researcher
Dornsife Spatial Sciences Institute
Partners
Paula Daniels
LA County Office of Food Systems
Ali Frazzini
LA County Chief Sustainability Office
Alba Velazquez
Los Angeles Food Policy Council
Ana-Alicia Carr
Los Angeles Food Policy Council
Recent Updates
Food insecurity remains high in L.A. County, but who it affects is changing
The federal SNAP-funding mess has made L.A.’s food-insecurity crisis clearer than ever
Homeowners trying to rebuild after Altadena’s Eaton Fire face concerns over lead levels in soil
Community Comes Together for Access to Free Lead Soil Testing
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