Food insecurity in Los Angeles County has been steadily rising since 2021 even as our local economy slowly recovers from the impact of COVID. According to a new USC research study, some three in ten households in greater Los Angeles experienced food insecurity this year. That figure marks a 6 percent increase from 2022.
From a national perspective, on average, 10.2 percent of people in the U.S. experience low food security, however, 19.8 percent of Black Americans experience low food security. To break it down further, 3.8 percent of people in the U.S. experience very low food security, however, 7.9% of Black Americans experience very low food security.
Food insecurity is more than just instances of hunger. The term refers to an experience that has persistent impacts — in which residents are unable to live an active, healthy life because they lack access to enough food due to limited money or other resources.
When you consider we live in nation of plenty, where nourishment should be a universal right, it is disappointing that economically disenfranchised communities suffer the most. Food insecurity rates are now actually worse for low-income residents than during the early days of the pandemic. The data show that racial and ethnic inequities have deepened, with Black and Latinx residents more than two times as likely as white residents to have been food insecure.
So, what’s driving this alarming trend?
The recent uptick coincides with rising food prices and the end of a pandemic-era federal boost to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, known as CalFresh benefits in California. Widespread labor stoppages in the entertainment and hotel industries have also cut incomes for many local residents.
Simply put: There’s less money to put food on the table.
The average monthly CalFresh benefits in L.A. County dropped from $470 per household in December 2022 to $299 in July 2023, as the pandemic-era boost to benefits ended. Nearly 50 percent of households receiving CalFresh benefits in July 2023 were food insecure. That figure marks an increase from December 2022, when 36% of CalFresh households were food insecure.
What can be done?
Funding local communities is the first step towards a more just and equitable food landscape.
The Los Angeles County Office of Sustainability has just launched a grant program that will release nearly $10 million in funding for community efforts to improve food equity. Federal ARP funds will be awarded to nonprofits and other groups looking to expand their capacity for innovative programs like urban agriculture and food waste recovery.
Whether it’s a neighborhood group looking for seed money to start a community garden or a local nonprofit looking to fund a fleet of electric vans to deliver meals to homebound seniors, we want to help.
Applications are being accepted at https://communitypartners.org/foodequity through Oct. 30. Please share this opportunity with good people doing good work in your community.
By investing in our communities today, we are sowing the seeds for a brighter, more equitable future.
Alison Frazzini is a policy advisor for the Los Angeles County’s Chief Sustainability Office. The Chief Sustainability Office (CSO) provides comprehensive policy support and guidance for the Board of Supervisors, County Departments, and the region to make our communities healthier, more equitable, and resilient. In partnership with philanthropic leaders and cross-sector organizations, CSO co-founded the LA County Food Equity Roundtable in 2021.
