Level 2: Improved conditions and equitable access to governance and resources

In 2012 California Governor Jerry Brown signed into law SB 1234, creating the Secure Choice Retirement Savings Program, which will set up low-risk individual retirement accounts on the private market for an estimated 6.3 million private-sector California workers, most of whom are women, low- and middle-wage workers, and people of color.

Both the Mayor and a leading mayoral candidate have strongly opposed mandatory paid sick leave, but labor unions and activists succeeded in reaching a deal that could eventually require businesses with a minimum of 15 employees to give full-time workers 5 compensated days off a year when they are ill.

The Associated Press updated its style guide, removing the term “illegal” when reporting on immigrants. An AP Executive said: “The Stylebook no longer sanctions the term “illegal immigrant” or the use of “illegal” to describe a person.

In the November 2012 election, San Jose voters increased the minimum wage from $8 to $10 per hour when they passed Measure D. The measure was born in a San Jose State University social action class led by Professor Scott Myers-Lipton. Students in the class created a draft of the measure then collected enough signatures to place it on the ballot.

Ecuador just passed legislation raising taxes on its financial sector to fund the "Human Development Bond," a subsidy of $30-$50 a month for the poorest residents. 

City council leaders In Richmond voted 5-2 on Tuesday night to put a special soda tax proposal on the November 6 ballot. The soda tax would add a one cent per ounce surcharge to soda and other sugary fruit drinks that contain less than ten percent juice.

A number of organizations representing a diverse group of Los Angeles public transportation patrons successfully brought suit against the Los Angeles MTA, charging them with violating the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which prohibits government agencies that receive any federal funds from distributing them in a discriminatory manner. The plaintiffs charged that MTA fostered a separate and unequal public transit system for riders of color.

These are effective vehicles that can bring all food system stakeholders ‚ producers, processors, grocers, distributors, road builders, transportation planners, city planners, health departments, social service providers, environmentalists, etc. ‚ into a conversation about the community‚ ability to provide healthy, sustainable, affordable food to its residents. The assessment is a tool used by many communities to reveal a picture of the local food system in a particular area.