Amid the tragedy of the Los Angeles wildfires, there’s been a spot of good news out of Southern California: Los Angeles County has committed to a major food-policy shift that will have dramatic environmental impacts and strengthen sustainable food advocacy at the local and regional levels.
Last spring we discussed Los Angeles County’s landmark 2024 policy that shifted the Department of Public Health toward climate-friendly food policies. Now the county has expanded that policy to reduce the environmental and public health costs tied to food purchases across all departments. Importantly, the new policy also requires the county to set ambitious and transparent food-related emissions-reduction goals.
The new policy does the following:
- Extends the food-procurement standards so they apply to all new and renewing food-service contracts with the county.
- Requires county facilities to serve at least one plant-based entree daily and provide plant-based alternatives to dairy.
- Recommends that plant-based entrees, sides, snacks, desserts, and beverages be priced competitively with comparable options.
The county will also provide departments with educational materials on how to meet their food-based emissions targets — for example, by replacing beef with plants instead of more chicken, fish, or dairy. This is a crucial step that can address environmental costs beyond greenhouse gas impacts like deforestation, biodiversity loss, water use, and pollution.
Los Angeles County supervisors Lindsey Horvath and Hilda Solis worked closely with our partners at Mercy for Animals in championing this transformative policy. Thanks to the support of generous donors like the Mental Wellness Foundation, the Center was able to calculate the Public Health Department’s climate foodprint through its food purchases. We also used our expertise on nutritional guidelines to help the county meet its targets.
From Local Solutions to Global Problems
As the United States heads into unknown territory with a new administration, it becomes even more important to strengthen our local and regional efforts for on-the-ground change. Municipalities make up 70% of global emissions, and by 2050, 80% of food will be consumed in cities.
While we call for a rapid phaseout of fossil fuels and a just transition to a sustainable food system, these kinds of local actions can help reduce food-related emissions and build community resilience in the face of climate-driven tragedies like wildfire.
Cities and counties should take heed of Los Angeles’ efforts to support sustainability and public health by prioritizing plant-based options as the centerpieces of food service. But Los Angeles isn’t the only U.S. area stepping up: New York City; Washington, D.C.; and Carrboro, North Carolina have made sustainable food-purchasing commitments.
Take Action
The National Dietary Guidelines for Americans are being updated this year, and sustainable guidelines could push more cities to follow LA’s lead.
Take action: Urge the federal government to adopt recommendations to promote plant-based diets in the guidelines.
Get Active in Your Community
Over the next few months, we’ll be developing resources to help you take action for sustainable food policies in your own city or county, which I’ll share with you here. In the meantime, you can...
Do you know of a city interested in adopting good food policy? Let’s connect: Write to me at [email protected].
For the wild,
