Resource Links
Food Security
www.dss.state.la.us: The Louisiana Department of Social Services website provides information about a variety of government programs aimed at improving health, nutrition and livelihoods for Louisiana families. They also offer contact information for regional and parish-level Social Service offices.
www.fns.usda.gov: The Federal Food and Nutrition Service is the branch of the US Department of Agriculture dealing with nutrition assistance programs such as the Food Stamps (SNAP), WIC, School Meals and Disaster Relief programs. Their website offers detailed information about the history and structure of federal nutrition programs, as well as benefits offered, eligibility requirements and local office contact information.
www.foodsecurity.org: The Community Food Security Coalition is a group of organizations and individuals working to promote food security on the local, national and international level. Their website contains information about how to do a food system assessment, how to form a food policy council, federal nutrition programs and various institutional buying programs. This is an important resource for anyone trying to support sustainable food systems in their area.
www.lafba.org: The Louisiana Food Bank Association seeks to promote unity, collaboration and communication among the major food banks of Louisiana. Their website provides information about policy initiatives, food bank programs, and state-wide events aimed at mobilizing support for Louisiana food banks.
www.sph.tulane.edu/PRC/pages/FPAC.htm: The New Orleans Food Policy Advisory Committee is a group of non-profit, business, community and government leaders working to improve access to fresh and healthy food. A list of ten detailed policy recommendations for improving food access can be found on the website.
www.noffn.org: The New Orleans Food and Farm Network works with individuals, organizations, growers and communities to help make fresh, healthy food more accessible to everyone.
www.thefoodtrust.org: The Food Trust is a Philadelphia-based nonprofit working with neighborhoods, school, farmers, grocers and policymakers to make healthy food available to all. Their website provides support for new food security initiatives, research and policy resources and programmatic information about the innovative solutions that the Food Trust has developed.
www.whyhunger.org: World Hunger Year is a non-profit dedicated to finding community-based solutions to hunger and poverty. Their website offers information about planning fund-raisers, grass-roots advocacy, food security education, and a variety of resources for groups trying to meet the needs of their communities.
Agriculture
www.lsuagcenter.com: The Louisiana State University AgCenter website provides detailed information about all agricultural enterprises in Louisiana. Visit this website for up-to-date information about agricultural technologies, sustainable ag initiatives, farm policy and food and farm related events throughout the state.
www.ssawg.org: The Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group works to empower and inspire farmers, individuals, and communities in the South to create an agricultural system that is ecologically sound, economically viable, socially just, and humane. Their website provides resources for farmers, consumers, activists and business-owners looking to promote sustainable agriculture.
www.sare.org: The United States Department of Agriculture Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education department offers grants and outreach to sustainable innovations nation-wide. The website offers a variety of tools and resources for sustainable agriculture education, policy, advocacy, on-farm innovation, and business decisions. A number of helpful USDA reports are available on the website.
www.ldaf.state.la.us/portal/: The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry website offers information about government initiatives, research and regulations involving agriculture, nutrition, natural resources, community development, and recreation. Information about grants, courses and policy initiatives for sustainable agriculture is available.
Healthy Eating
www.mypyramid.gov: The My Pyramid page on the USDA website helps individuals learn about healthy eating. The website offers a comprehensive set of resources of educators teaching students about balanced nutrition as well as a number of tools for curious individuals interested in improving their food choices.
www.pbrc.edu: The Pennington Biomedical Research Center focuses of research and education in nutrition and preventative medicine. The website offers a number of scholarly reports on diet and health as well as educational tools for nutrition education.
www.sph.tulane.edu/prc: The Tulane Prevention Research Center focuses on the impact of the physical and social environment on obesity and obesity related diseases. The website offers information about a number of programs and research projects aimed at understanding and ameliorating the effects of limited access to fresh and healthy food in some New Orleans communities.
www.lphi.org: The Louisiana Public Health Institute provides information about a variety of public health research projects and community initiatives in Louisiana.
Advocacy
www.congress.org/congressorg/home: Use this website to find contact information for your federal, state and local representatives.
www.hungeractioncenter.org: Feeding America’s advocacy website with legislative alerts, research, and learning tools.