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What is a Community Food Assessment? A Community Food Assessment (CFA) is a collaborative and participatory process that systematically examines a broad range of community food issues and assets, so as to promote change and inform actions designed to make the community more food secure. CFAs typically entail the collection of data in order to determine whether households in a community have access to sufficient, nutritionally adequate, and culturally appropriate foods to satisfy their dietary needs.San Francisco Food Systems Guidebook To understand the food system in San Francisco, residents must build awareness around issues that affect their communities and their relationship with the various sectors of the food system. In order for communities to advocate for their food needs, they need to assess and illustrate the state of their food system. To assist communities with this endeavor, we have compiled a San Francisco Food Systems Guidebook.The San Francisco Food Systems Guidebook is an introduction to food systems work for residents and community based organizations currently working with target populations in the City and County. This resource introduces the concept of community food assessments and contains definitions, examples of past assessments, data collection methods, data sources, funding sources, and references for further information. The guidebook will help examine and evaluate the health of the San Francisco food system as measured against a range of indicators that span the traditional supply and demand sides of the food economy. Overall, this information is crucial for building capacity around food system advocacy and project planning and for building a more integrated and sustainable food system movement in the City and County. San Francisco Food Systems has distributed approximately 280 copies of this guidebook to residents, city agencies, and community groups, including all participants in the citywide Food Alliance Conference held in March 2003. San Francisco Food Systems, along with the Department of Public Health, has also provided San Francisco residents and community based organizations with technical assistance in conducting community food assessments. Expected outcomes from this endeavor are an increase in food projects and expanded education around food systems, thereby increasing the capacity of organizations to do food-related work in San Francisco. You can download the sections of the San Francisco Food Systems Guidebook for free on our "Our Work and Reports" page. San Francisco Collaborative Food System Assessment The SF Collaborative Food System Assessment was a collaborative and participatory project of the San Francisco Food Alliance. The purpose of the assessment was to provide a holistic, systemic view of San Francisco's food system, with a focus on three main areas: food assistance, urban agriculture, and food retailing. Through the collaborative effort of the San Francisco Food Alliance, a set of indicators were defined which were used to measure the state of the local food system. We gathered data for each of these indicators, setting benchmarks for future analysis. Through the use of Geographic Information Systems software, we created a series of maps and reports which can illustrate the assets and limitations within our food system. By compiling data using the community and household scale of analysis, we can assess the state of community food security in different neighborhoods and throughout the City and County as a whole and develop recommendations on how to improve the state of our local food system. To view the final assessment, see the "Our Work and Reports" page.San Francisco Food Systems is currently engaged in a number of community research projects that examine food systems issues that exist in various San Francisco communities. We have hired community residents and volunteers to conduct community food assessments to understand food management strategies throughout the City and County. This community research explores how city agencies and community based organizations can work with communities in responding to their food needs. San Francisco Food Systems also supports current projects and activities through general research work. This research reflects our commitment to understanding the food system in San Francisco and facilitates our efforts to build capacity not only among residents but also within government agencies and community based organizations.
This project was led by Children's Council of San Francisco, a local community based organization that sought to support childcare providers by identifying barriers to providing healthy food and developing programs to improve food served to children. The purpose of this research was to investigate the food practices of childcare providers in the City and County of San Francisco. Children's Council developed a survey to determine what actions need to be taken and what issues need to be addressed to make sure that the children are eating adequate healthy foods. Information from this assessment has been used to design a project to improve childcare providers' access to local produce through continuing nutrition education programs that enhance childcare providers' cooking skills, shopping and nutritional education. Click on a title below and a copy of the child care provider survey will open in a new window: -Child Care Provider Survey (English) -Child Care Provider Survey (Spanish) Farm-to Hospital Research In the fall of 2003, we assessed the feasibility of bringing regional sustainable agriculture into the public hospitals of the City and County. Working with four public health interns from San Francisco State University, San Francisco Food Systems initially examined food systems opportunities at Laguna Honda Hospital. Specifically, this study explored the possibility of connecting the hospital's food purchasing to local, regional agriculture and implementing a food recycling program. In the spring of 2004, we entered the second phase of the study with the Laguna Honda Hospital. We examined the hospital's re-build project in order to understand what opportunities exist for urban agriculture within the planned open space element. Findings from this research will be incorporated in an ongoing partnership with Laguna Honda Hospital to develop programming for residents, staff and community residents within the open spaces of the re-build. Food Management Strategies Ethnographies This ethnographic research study examines food security among San Francisco residents living in four low-resourced neighborhoods: Visitation Valley, South of Market, Tenderloin and Ocean/Merced/Ingleside. This study evaluates the equity of social and cultural determinants of food security in the neighborhood. Utilizing an ethnographic, community action research model (through focus groups, participatory action boards, and in-depth interviews) this project is dedicated to understanding and examining socially and culturally based strategies affecting community food security. In addition, this study examines how health is currently valued in non-health services, and community based, culturally normative decision making processes. It also provides technical assistance for community capacity building (through coalitions and leadership development, etc.) for understanding structural determinants of health. Although this research examines what types of food management strategies are devised under constrained resources, we do not know whether there are differences between different ethnic and cultural groups in the selection of these strategies. Partnership Study with SF Redevelopment We have been engaged in research with the San Francisco Department of Public Health and the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency to examine redevelopment opportunities within the food system for San Francisco. This research currently uses geographic information systems technology to evaluate potential avenues for coordination and development of the food system especially in redeveloping areas. |
