GOAL 7:ALL DALLAS’ COMMUNITIES HAVE ACCESS TO HEALTHY, LOCAL FOOD.
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The City of Dallas Urban Agriculture and
Community Health Explorer is now live below!
GOAL 7:
ALL DALLAS’ COMMUNITIES HAVE ACCESS TO HEALTHY, LOCAL FOOD.
Targets
50%, 75%, 100% OF THE POPULATION HAS ACCESS TO HEALTHY, AFFORDABLE FOOD BY 2030, 2040, AND 2050.*
INCREASE BY 20%, 50%, 75% THE ACREAGE OF URBAN GARDENS PRODUCING FOOD BY 2030, 2040, AND 2050.**
INCREASE BY 10%, 25%, 50% OR MORE RESTAURANTS, FARM STANDS, OR MARKETS SOURCING FROM LOCAL PRODUCERS BY 2030, 2040, AND 2050.
Access to healthy food for vulnerable communities in southern and western Dallas is a significant challenge; 36% of Dallas' residents live in census tracts defined as food deserts, which are low-income areas with low access to vehicles and no grocers within one mile. Additionally, food production, distribution, and land use account for 30% of global GHG emissions. Rising temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, and more frequent droughts may results in losses to crops and livestock across the nation and globe, possibly leading to increased food prices. Extreme weather events such as Winter Storm Uri have exposed vulnerabilities in the food supply chain. Solutions in this sector target emissions reductions at each stage of the food supply chain; however, most actions focus on equity and address issues such as food access and food security.
Resources for Residents
Community Supported Agriculture
Find and join a local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), which is a membership to a small farm, that provides fresh, local produce each week.
Bonton Farms
Join Bonton Farms, a community-based urban farm or shop for local produce and other goods at their market.
Volunteer at North Texas Food Bank
Help improve food security in your community by contributing food, donating to, or volunteering for the North Texas Food Bank.
Master Gardeners
Learn about how you can grow your own produce at home from the Dallas County Master Gardener Association.
Resources for Businesses
Donate Surplus Food
Donate surplus food to the North Texas Food Bank, which provides 200,000 meals per day to residents facing hunger.
Foodsource DFW
Foodsource DFW helps businesses facilitate large donations of surplus foods and resources that would otherwise go to waste to those in need. Schedule a free tax-deductible pickup and Foodsource DFW will distribute the food to a network of regional food banks.
Reduce Food Waste
All food services businesses, but especially full-service hotels, can use the Hotel Kitchen Toolkit to identify ways they can reduce food waste. Participating hotels have seen reductions in food waste of 10-38% in just 12 weeks.
FOCUS ON: FOOD ACCESS
Comprehensive Urban Agriculture Plan
The Comprehensive Urban Agriculture Plan will outline the current state of agriculture in Dallas. This plan will offer strategies for sustaining existing efforts, guide the City on improving and creating new resources and pathways, and support expanding urban agriculture projects in Dallas.
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North Texas Food Policy Alliance
The North Texas Food Policy Alliance is newly-formed a regional effort to foster regional collaboration to develop sustainable and equitable food systems in North Texas. As part of its goals, the NTFPA is pursuing grant funding to conduct a regional food systems analysis.
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Interested in gardening, growing and more?
Get in touch with the City of Dallas Urban Agriculture Divison to learn more about the Dallas Agriecosystem and the work they are doing. To get involved, send us an email.
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Coming soon!
COD Urban Agriculture Website: from local events, education, jobs, online resources and more, the Urban Agriculture Divison is building out a web resource page to capture all things agriculture happening in Dallas on a one stop shop! Expected to launch Fall 2024!
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