Project Mentor: Dr. Bill Whitney, Creative Inquiry
2025 Impact Fellows
Mary Darin Cline ‘27
Tatiana Rivera ‘27
Hannah Rosenel '26
Lola Sale '28
Project Description:
How can we help local governments work better to give all citizens access to healthy foods?
SF Food Connect has been investigating the effectiveness of government food benefit systems in the San Francisco Bay Area, with a particular focus on access to high-nutrition foods across various neighborhoods. The ultimate goal is to develop actionable policy-based solutions for communities facing food insecurity. During fieldwork in 2024 and 2025, the team conducted extensive data collection, assessing over 800 food items from 32 food retailers and researching multiple pathways currently in use to combat food insecurity across San Francisco and the greater Bay Area. These comprehensive analyses led to the development of research manuscripts detailing the effectiveness of current nutritional policies while also recommending necessary policy changes to enhance food access. Looking ahead, the next phase of the project will involve actively engaging with policymakers and Bay Area food organizations to determine the gaps in coverage and care and develop innovative solutions for providing resources to all who need them. The aim is to collaboratively implement programs and policies that ensure broad-based access to high-nutrition foods throughout the region, ultimately fostering healthier California communities.