Before we finish rounding out this series - let’s be sure we actually touch base on how “food justice” is normally understood or defined.

One comprehensive definition of food justice - provided by Boston University’s Community Service Center - explains that “The Food Justice Movement works to ensure universal access to nutritious, affordable, and culturally-appropriate food for all, while advocating for the well-being and safety of those involved in the food production process”.

The first two posts in this series - about Food Swamps and Food Deserts - touch on this definition, as these posts highlighted issues with access, cultural relevance, and nutrition. The last piece, affordability (which is a major part of food access), is the focus of this post - as well as being one of the more pressing issues here in California.

A report from earlier this year (The Household Pulse Survey) revealed that Californians actually pay more in grocery costs than residents in any other state - close to $300 per week. 

Unfortunately, these high costs disproportionately affect those at lower and middle income brackets, (especially those with children/larger families) as these households tend to spend a majority of their income on basic needs. Data from the Public Policy Institute of California has also noted that inflation stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic has remained high, which is further fueling these price increases. Groceries in particular haven’t seemed to deflate in price the way other goods might.

While no specific legislation has been proposed regarding food pricing, there are several other related initiatives (both grassroots and governmental) that aim to increase food access by other means. 

• CA SB1383 (California’s Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Strategy) - Mandates that any facility designated as a ‘commercial edible food generator’ must establish a food recovery plan for their surplus food. This bill helps to alleviate some of the harsh effects of food insecurity by recirculating fresh food back into communities (and on top of that - diverting that waste from a landfill).

• CA SB628 (The State Healthy Food Access Policy) - This bill expands the definitions of ‘food access’ and ‘food insecurity’ in the state of California and defines food access as an inalienable right - laying the groundwork for expansions of programs like SNAP - which directly alleviate food insecurity.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as ‘food stamps’) is an essential resource when it comes to equalizing food access. According to data provided by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, SNAP assistance is even associated with improved health outcomes for those within the program: 

“Those include better self-reported health, lower risk of heart disease and obesity among adults who had access to SNAP as children, and greater medication adherence among older participants, who may also be better positioned to live on their own in their community.”

There are also numerous organizations throughout California - like Food Connect, Loaves & Fishes, and Oakland’s own Self-Help Hunger Program that are doing incredible work to help get nutritious food directly to residents that might struggle to access it otherwise. 

Now that SB1383 is law, commercial edible food generators should be trying to maximize their impact via compliance. By establishing a consistent food recovery schedule and ensuring that as much edible food as possible is being recovered, food generators are helping to mitigate the worst effects of climate change while also feeding their local communities.

Even though rising grocery costs are causing food to become an even larger portion of household expenditures (and for some, the largest share), food choices still tend to be extremely limited or non-existent depending on where one lives. So not only are grocery stores becoming financially inaccessible, for many California residents, they are also physically inaccessible or difficult to get to.

Given this situation - creative solutions are needed to bridge these food access gaps in our state.

We might be able to take inspiration from the food justice space in other states, like Colorado, where non-profits like Denver Food Rescue offer a one-of-a-kind “No cost grocery program”. These programs do not require ID or proof of income, are set up in community centers (to minimize travel distances), and are completely free-choice - participants are able to choose from a variety of food options, increasing their overall autonomy.

Food justice in California is a complex topic, and it’s likely that the need to advocate for it won’t be ending anytime soon. Even though there isn’t a simple, blanket solution that would result in universally increased food access, it’s crucial to learn about the initiatives that are happening and how we can support them. Additionally, being informed about the obstacles standing in the way of increased access is just as important. We hope this blog series has provided you with some valuable insights into the situation in our state! 

To learn more about state-mandated food recovery, click here.

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