COVID-19 Impacts on the Food System and Food Security in Los Angeles County

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a crisis in our food system and widespread food insecurity. In L.A. County (LAC), almost 1 million households experienced food insecurity in the first two months of the pandemic. This was documented by our research team, comprised of experts in public health, health policy, and spatial and data science, and our government partner - the LAC Emergency Food Security Branch. The causes of food insecurity during the pandemic are likely complex: there are failures in the "last mile" of food distribution (e.g., food supply shortages, closure of food outlets), and people are facing many challenging accessing food because they have lost jobs, incomes, school meals, and because it's difficult to safely visit food stores and food banks. We are using multiple novel sources of data, including population survey data and secondary data on food outlets and food assistance programs, to quickly monitor changes to population food access and security and changes to the "last mile" of the food distribution system in LAC. This research will identify the people and places most at risk for food insecurity, propose timely interventions and solutions, and advance the science of food systems and food justice.
*Food insecurity--meaning disruptions in regular eating due to a lack of money or other resources has spiked in L.A. County during COVID-19
*Lowering the risk for food insecurity is difficult, because it is caused by many complex and changing factors.
*Our team of multidisciplinary researchers and government and community partners are drawing on multiple streams of data that give us insight into changes in population food access and food security, and the "last mile" of the distribution of food goods via grocery stores, restaurants, and food banks.
*Our findings are being quickly translated to our government and community partners to inform interventions and policy to increase food security in L.A. County as the pandemic unfolds.