Food and Agriculture
Strengthening the Bay Area's urban and regional food systems
Photo by Michael Waldrep
The Bay Area is known for its passion for food and its forward-thinking policy. The region’s central cities have the potential to combine the two, leading the nation by demonstrating how municipal policy can catalyze the development of urban agriculture, build a stronger regional food system and create healthier communities.
This program is generously supported by the 11th Hour Project, Clif Bar Family Foundation, Leslie Family Foundation, Stupski Foundation, Sunlight Giving, and Voices for Healthy Kids.
Lead staff: Eli Zigas, Food and Agriculture Policy Director, ezigas@spur.org
Double Up Food Bucks California
Piloting a scalable model for making healthy food more affordable
One of the biggest obstacles to healthy eating is the affordability of healthy food. Our Double Up Food Bucks California project helps families overcome that barrier. The project provides matching funds so that families and individuals participating in the CalFresh program can buy even more fresh fruits and vegetables at the grocery store.
Featured Publications
Healthy Food Within Reach
Helping Bay Area residents find, afford and choose healthy food
One in 10 adults in the Bay Area struggle to find three meals a day, while more than half of adults are overweight or obese. To meet our basic needs, improve public health and enhance our quality of life, Bay Area residents must have access to healthy food. SPUR recommends 12 actions that local governments can take to improve food access in Bay Area communities.
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Makers & Movers Economic Cluster Strategy
Recommendations for San Francisco food and beverage manufacturers and distributors
The past and future growth of the local food economy depend on the food and beverage manufactures and distributors who often operate behind-the-scenes. Recognizing this, SPUR partnered with the San Francisco Planning Department and Office of Economic and Workforce Development to develop recommendations for how the city can better support these businesses.
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Locally Nourished
How a stronger regional food system benefits the Bay Area
The Bay Area’s food system supports our greenbelt, employs hundreds of thousands of people, and helps reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. SPUR's recommends a series of policies to help us more effectively capture the benefits of our regional food system.
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Public Harvest
Expanding the use of public land for urban agriculture in San Francisco
Urban agriculture has captured the imagination of San Franciscans in recent years. But the city won't realize all the benefits of this growing interest unless it provides more land, more resources and better institutional support.
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