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In
2001, the San Francisco Department of Public Health's Environmental
Health Section (EHS) initiated an independent project (San Francisco Food Systems) under
the fiscal sponsorship of the San Francisco Foundation Community Initiative
Funds. |
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San Francisco Food
Systems was formed as a private-public partnership in order
to address food systems issues within the City and County of San
Francisco through action research projects, policy planning and
recommendations.
These efforts support and evaluate sustainable and positive structural
change in environmental conditions with the goal of bridging San
Francisco residents with the food system. In doing so, underlying
root causes of adverse health affects from food insecurity and hunger
can been reduced to ensure the health and well being of our population.
San Francisco Food
Systems builds upon work previously conducted in the City and County.
Specifically, we are guided by the recommendations developed in
the San Francisco Sustainability Plan.
In addition, we have learned from previous food advocacy work done
by the California Food Policy Advocates that surveyed food access
in low-income neighborhoods in the Bay Area. After a year long process,
this collaborative research found that barriers to food security
were: low income, transportation, lack of conveniently located quality
food facilities and farmers markets, and neighborhood crime.
In addition, the establishment
of San Francisco Food Systems has benefited from prior
collaborations that have examined food issues. In 2001, the Environmental
Health Section initiated a partnership between community based organizations
located in the Bayview Hunters Point neighborhood and other sections
within the Department of Public Health to work with youth on a food
security project. The youth conducted research, and with technical
assistance from the Department of Public Health, were able to assess
how these research findings could be best applied to activities
around food security.
San Francisco Food
Systems is located within the San Francisco Department of
Public Health's Environmental Health Section and is staffed by a
Director, two Project Coordinators, two Community Research Assistants
and an overall Project Manager. Our staff represents expertise in
a number of fields such as urban agriculture, community organizing,
health policy, social science, public health, nutritional science
and events planning. In addition, San Francisco Food Systems has a Technical Advisory Board comprised of Food Systems experts
and government officials.
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