LARTA Case Study – LA County Food Equity Round Table

Case Study

Urban Agriculture

When you hear the word ‘agriculture’ it usually doesn’t conjure images of Los Angeles, but urban agriculture is a critical strategy for holistically ameliorating food and nutrition security.

Not only does urban agriculture address issues such as affordability and access, it helps build a community’s resilience, economic opportunity, and sustainability.

Resilience

A community’s potential to respond, adapt, and recover from challenges is imperative to its ability to thrive. Urban agriculture provides communities that are normally dependent on outside distribution channels an ability to be independent and self-reliant in times of crisis while also shaping the ways they choose to grow.

Economic Opportunity

From seed to table, growing, distributing, and serving food is rife with economic opportunity. Ensuring these opportunities are available to communities that have systematically been excluded is critical. Whether it’s vertical farming in repurposed warehouses or streamlining certification for street vendors, supporting local economies is key.

Sustainability

Growing food in controlled environments not only allows for more sustainable farming practices, it fosters opportunities for innovation in those practices. The community that participates in the innovation is then its direct beneficiary, sustaining an environment that perpetuates good growing and eating practices.

So, what does this mean for Los Angeles County?

There are already some incredible urban agriculture projects throughout the County; but, there could be so many more. LA County Food Equity Roundtable member and foundation partner, California Community Foundation is partnering with the LARTA Institute to engage in a community-led process to better understand the opportunities to expand urban agriculture in the County. They will be sharing their findings in 2023, and we hope members of LA County will consider partnering with us once we begin to implement this critical work.