training & capital for food businesses
The Good Food Zones Microgrants Pilot Program (GFZ) is an initiative by the City of Los Angeles in partnership with Los Angeles Food Policy Council. The program aims to expand access to healthy foods in designated Good Food Zones within the City of Los Angeles while increasing economic opportunities and jobs for low-income residents. This initiative supports food-centered businesses in overcoming challenges exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, such as supply chain disruptions and economic hardships, which have worsened food access in vulnerable neighborhoods. Funds are made available by the American Rescue Plan Act
The Southern California Impact Food Fund (SCIFF) is a collaborative effort aimed at enhancing access to healthy food in underserved areas of Southern California, building on the groundwork laid by the CA FreshWorks Fund. The initiative engages small family-owned markets and food retailers in the Southern California region, particularly communities that have traditionally lacked access to capital required for sustaining food enterprises. A strong emphasis will be placed on inclusivity, including business ownership by women and BIPOC. By providing accessible capital within local food systems, SCIFF strives to not only ensure the success of individual businesses but also catalyze a larger community uplift. Read the full press release here for more details.
In 2024 Los Angeles Sanitation and Environment, Rising Communities, and the Los Angeles Food Policy Council announced the Food Rescue Macro Grants program as a two-part funding opportunity intended to address food insecurity and climate change by supporting food recovery and distribution systems within the city of los angeles.
The Food Rescue Macro Grant program was a capacity building grant that funded multi-stakeholder and cross-sectoral partnerships in Los Angeles. The program aimed to deepen relationships, develop processes, and implement projects that helped to bridge gaps and strengthen the infrastructure of the larger food recovery network in Los Angeles. Collaboratives selected for the food rescue macro grants were awarded up to $104,000.00 for their projects. The program is now closed.
We reside, work, and cultivate food
on unceded Indigenous homelands.
We acknowledge and honor the descendants of the Tongva, Kizh, and Gabrieleño peoples as the traditional land caretakers of Tovaangar (the Los Angeles Basin and the Southern Channel Islands). We pay our respects to the Honuukvetam (Ancestors), ‘Ahiihirom (Elders) and ‘Eyoohiinkem (our relatives/relations) past, present and emerging.
As part of a greater foodshed, we would also like to pay respect to and honor the Chumash, Tataviam, Serrano, Kitanemuk, ʔíviĨuqaletem, Acjachemen, Payómkawichum, and any other tribal group possibly not mentioned. As a Food Policy Council for Los Angeles we recognize this land acknowledgment is limited and engagement is an ongoing process of learning and accountability. To learn more about these First Nations, visit here.
Cultivating Farmers is a key programmatic facet of our ongoing work with local farmers and strengthening of our regional foodshed. The program’s goal is to provide technical assistance and support to underserved and beginning farmers and ranchers in Los Angeles and neighboring counties. Cultivating Farmers has a particular focus on serving farmers and ranchers who have been underrepresented and historically marginalized in agriculture, and who identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) and/or armed forces Veterans.
.jpg)
Food Leaders Lab (FLL) is a 10-week course that provides training and coaching on food justice, systems change, and community health. Each FLL session explores food system dynamics and case studies from various social movements including anti-hunger and community food security, food sovereignty, and regenerative agriculture.
The State of Good Food in Los Angeles: A Decade in Review [previously known as The Food Systems Dashboard (link here)]is a vital resource for assessing the progress, challenges, and opportunities within our regional food system. Covering key areas such as health, affordability, sustainability, fairness, and accessibility, this report offers a data-driven foundation for decision-making and collective action.