Food Security is defined as "Access by all people at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life.  Food security includes at a minimum:

• the ready availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods, and
• an assured ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially accceptable ways (e.g., without resorting to emergency food supplies, scavenging, stealing, or other coping strategies)."

The University of California Cooperative Extension for Placer-Nevada Counties recently concluded a four-year project to research food security and hunger issues in Placer County and help the community develop a reasonable plan to address the identified problems.

A county-wide needs assessment was completed and identifies county strengths and gaps in the food security/system area.  As part of the project, a Food Policy Council was established to develop an implementation plan and to bring together already existing, but uncoordinated resources and services to better service the food security and food systems needs to all county residents.  The Council's work still continues under the broader Nutrition Coalition, which meets throughout the year.

For more information on the UCCE Food Security Project, contact a program representative at (530) 889-7350.

The Placer County Food Security Project was funded in part by the California Nutrition Network.  Visit their website at http://www.CA5aday.com.  Additional sites of interest include California Project LEAN, http://www.DHS.CA.GOV/LEAN , California Project LEAN Teen Website at http://www.caprojectlean.org, and the Nutrition Network Website at http://www.dhs.ca.gov/ps/cdic/cpns/network .