Los Angeles

Leading the Good Food For All Charge Since 2012

The City of Los Angeles and Los Angeles Unified School District became the first institutions to adopt Good Food Purchasing Policies in 2012. With commitments to social and environmental goals spanning successive administrations over the last decade, institutional purchasing power directed toward local and sustainable producers continues to have significant impacts on the region’s food system.

Population:
3,979,576

Race Demographics:
9% Black / 0.7% Indigenous / 12% Asian / 0.2% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander / 52% White (29% Non-Hispanic) / 4% Two or More Races / 49% Hispanic

Poverty Rate:
18%

Los Angeles Unified School District Free and Reduced Price Lunch:
84%

Estimated Public Food Spend:
$119,000,000

Local Leadership:
Los Angeles Food Policy Council, Los Angeles Mayor’s Office of Sustainability, Good Food Los Angeles Coalition

Curious to see where Los Angeles institutions can invest their public food dollars locally? Use the map’s radius distance slider (left) to see how purchasing within a 50 mile, 250 mile, or 500 mile radius looks.

Participation in the Good Food Purchasing Program by all public Los Angeles institutions could*:

Create 106 local jobs equivalent to $5.28 million in annual local wages

Los Angeles institutions invest in local jobs by prioritizing purchasing from regional suppliers and manufacturers.

Reduce annual carbon dioxide equivalent emissions by 48.2 million pounds

Los Angeles’ Green New Deal identifies food purchasing as a central strategy for reducing environmental footprint.

Inspire investment in a valued workforce

Local union leaders credit the school district’s commitment to a valued workforce as a key driver in winning a union contract at a food distribution company.

*Impacts are calculated based on estimated annual regional food spend. These are the estimated impacts of increasing 30% of current spending on local products, without changing total food spend, and replacing 30% of current purchases of conventionally produced meat and eggs with an equal amount of plant proteins. For additional detail, download the methodology.

Explore the Impacts

"As a city, Los Angeles is the combined populations of Chicago and Philadelphia. As a county, we are the combined populations of New York City, Austin, and Seattle. This translates into a lot of purchasing power and a large carbon footprint. With our public dollars, we can invest in our local economies, support our communities with healthier options, and combat climate change all at the same time. The Good Food Purchasing Program offers a high return on investment for both people and the planet, locally and globally."

Christine Tran - Executive Director, Los Angeles Food Policy Council

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