Evaluating a Community-Based Intervention to Advance Food Equity and Climate Resilience in the South Bronx: Findings from the LEAF Program

Access to ecologically grown, nutritious food remains limited in low-income U.S. communities due to cost, structural inequities, and the dominance of industrial food systems. Stone Barns Center’s Leading an Ecological and Accessible Food System (LEAF) program—developed through a community-based participatory partnership in the South Bronx—aims to address these challenges through biweekly distributions of regeneratively grown produce, seasonal gardening kits, and culturally responsive nutrition education. This study presents findings from the first two years (April 2023–August 2024) of a multi-year intervention, evaluated using six household-level, paper-based surveys that provided primarily quantitative data. The surveys captured changes in fruit and vegetable consumption, gardening comfort, emotional well-being, participation in SNAP and WIC programs, food purchasing behaviors, and unmet needs. Statistically significant (p < 0.05) improvements were observed in fruit and vegetable intake, comfort with growing food, and emotional response to gardening. SNAP participation rose by 130%, and purchasing shifted toward local access points. Notably, 99% of Year 1 families returned for Year 2, reflecting strong engagement and trust. These results demonstrate the potential of integrated, community-partnered, and climate-aligned interventions to advance health equity, ecological literacy, and food justice. LEAF offers a replicable model for sustainable food system transformation in other under-resourced settings.