What Cities Can Do

Strengthen Local Food Systems

Local governments have the power to implement policies and initiatives to expand access to nutritious food for all residents, improve public health, and strengthen local economies.

Here are Some Key Ways

Municipalities Can Contribute

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Here are Some Key Ways Municipalities Can Contribute *

Adopt Proven Policy Frameworks

  • Join the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact, an international protocol focused on addressing food-related challenges at the urban level, signed by 330 cities worldwide, including the City of Los Angeles. 

  • As a global agreement among mayors, the Pact serves as a practical guide for cities and includes a Framework for Action with 37 recommended actions across six categories, each with indicators to track progress.

  • Strengthen Governance

    1. Establish food system stakeholder councils

    2. Adopt procurement policies that prioritize healthy, sustainably produced food.

  • Create Good Food Jobs & Infrastructure

    1. Support the development of food hubs to enable mission-driven aggregation and distribution of healthy food to public food programs, sourcing from local, small- and mid-scale farmers.

  • Support Local Food Production

    1. Integrate urban farms and community gardens into city planning.

    2. Invest in initiatives such as farm-to-school programs.

  • Improve Food Access

    1. Expand EBT and Market Match programs at farmers markets.

    2. Incentivize neighborhood stores to carry fresh produce.

  • Reduce Food Waste

    1. Encourage the donation of surplus food.

    2. Expand composting and organic waste diversion programs.

  • Empower Food Workers & Small Businesses

    1. Provide resources to small food entrepreneurs.

    2. Ensure fair labor practices for food system workers.