Food insecurity exists when people do not know where their next meal will come from, primarily due to a lack of money. Food insecurity is intertwined with poverty and directly leads to poor health, seen through multiple pathways: poor diet quality, malnutrition, stress, depression, and trauma. These manifest in chronic diseases and health disparities like diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension and impact communities on physical, social, and economic levels.  

The San Francisco Food Security Task Force (FSTF) was created by the Board of Supervisors with the purpose of making recommendations on policies, programs, and funding to improve food security among San Francisco residents. The 2025 Recommendations were developed by reviewing and analyzing the current food security landscape and modifying previous recommendations based on current conditions, emerging threats, and opportunities. The study references 2023 California Health Interview Survey data.

Recommendations: The Food Security Task Force calls on San Francisco’s government to:

1. Establish an Office of Food and a permanent Food Advisory public body.
2. Invest adequate City resources to support equitable and coordinated solutions to food security.
3. Address food security through a health equity approach.
4. Restore grocery access in under-resourced communities.