OUR COMMUNITY FOOD PLANNING PROJECT WILL DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGIC PLAN TO BUILD A SUSTAINABLE, CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE FOOD SYSTEM THAT ENABLES RESIDENTS OF THE LOWER NINTH WARD AREA OF NEW ORLEANS TO LIVE HEALTHIER, MORE RESILIENT LIVES. THE PROJECT WILL CONVENE ORGANIZATIONS, FOOD SECTORS, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO ADDRESS THE ROOT CAUSES OF HEALTH INEQUITY IN THE LOWER NINTH WARD. OUR ALLIANCES WITH COMMUNITY LEADERS, HEALTH EDUCATION ORGANIZATIONS, HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS, AND GRASSROOTS AND FAITH-BASED GROUPS GIVE US A STRONG FRAMEWORK TO CONDUCT A COMMUNITY FOOD ASSESSMENT. WE WILL GATHER INFORMATION ON LNW RESIDENTS' EXPERIENCES IN THE LOCAL FOOD ENVIRONMENT, INCLUDING FINANCIAL AND LOGISTICAL BARRIERS TO ACCESSING HEALTHY FOODS, FOOD BEHAVIORS, AND PREVALENCE OF DIET-RELATED HEALTH CONDITIONS. THIS DATA WILL BE USED TO RAISE AWARENESS OF FOOD SYSTEM DEFICITS AND OPPORTUNITIES, AND PROVIDE EVIDENCE OF THE COMMUNITY'S NEEDS THAT RESIDENTS CAN USE TO ADVOCATE FOREFFECTIVE POLICY AND PROGRAMS. STAKEHOLDERS WILL HAVE THE RESOURCES THEY NEED TO SHAPE PUBLIC POLICY TO IMPROVE EQUITY, OPPORTUNITY, AND COLLABORATION IN OUR LOCAL FOOD SYSTEM.