Through various programs attempting to address Berkeley’s food insecurity, organizations both on and off campus utilize their advocacy to highlight issues in the greater food system.
Not everything is back to normal at Berkeley Food Pantry sites
Staff Sgt. Nathan Maysonet/Creative Commons
Donations to the Berkeley Food Pantry have decreased despite the fact that the need for food remains high.
Clients visited Berkeley Food Network’s onsite pantry 1,600 times a week in February 2020. This number increased to 5,000 in April of the same year and has since remained constant, according to Berkeley Food Network, or BFN, office manager Erika Larson.
During the pandemic, BFN has seen an increase in donations, Larson said. She added that it’s been proactive in sourcing donations through independent farmers in a program where BFN trains farmhands to run their own organic farms and provides produce in exchange for job training.