Farmers markets as a strategy for improving food environments pp 54-60

When designed effectively, supported by knowledge and an
understanding of the food-environment concept, government
policy and fiscal measures can positively influence what food
is available to consumers and lead to healthier dietary choices.
The food-environment concept, for example, has been crucial
to understanding and tackling food insecurity and food apartheid, as
described in this chapter.

Podcast: Food X Design, An Equitable Food System

This podcast episode of Food X Design (an IDEO Podcast) digs into the decades of intentional policies that have created today’s inequitable food system. Plus, why language matters when talking about the challenges we face, and how agency is key to creating new food systems that work for Black, Indigenous and People of Color.

Report: Toward Market Cities: Lessons on Supporting Public Market Systems from Pittsburgh, Seattle, and Toronto

Public markets systems in North America are both agile and fragile. When the coronavirus pandemic caused widespread stay-at-home orders and business closures, many markets across the continent stayed open, continuing to safely provide fresh and healthy food to residents as supply chains were strained and serve as an economic lifeline to farmers and other producers. This contribution to the resilience of our communities often took place despite limited, uncoordinated support from all levels of government.

It was in this extreme context that the Market Cities Initiative at Project for Public Spaces undertook this research effort to kickstart citywide market strategies in three North American cities—Seattle, Washington, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the United States, and Toronto, Ontario, Canada. With support from The Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Foundation, Project for Public Spaces provided each city with pro bono technical assistance and a small planning grant to audit each city’s existing market system, identify challenges and opportunities, and convene a broad group of stakeholders to advocate for new policy and governance structures.

This report includes background on the Market Cities Initiative and its research efforts to date, summaries of each local partner’s findings and recommendations, and broad takeaways for other cities looking to strengthen their market systems or leading their own Market City process.

Measuring Racial Equity in the Food System: Established and Suggested Metrics

From the Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems.

This tool offers an expansive list of metrics that U.S. food system practitioners and food movement organizations can use to hold ourselves accountable for progress towards a more equitable food system. The metrics are either currently in use or are recommended by food system practitioners and food movement organizations in the United States. They are described, cited, and organized by themes: food access, food and farm business, food chain labor, and food movement.

Includes a PDF Guide and link to a webinar introduction to the guide.

Soul Fire Farm: Food Sovereignty Action Steps

“If we are not acting to change the system, we are complicit, casting our silent vote to maintain the status quo.” The following food sovereignty action steps were compiled by the Soul Fire Farm community and Northeast Farmers of Color Alliance.

It is divided into seven sections #1 Policy Platform, #2 Individual Actions, #3 Reparations, #4 Alliance Building, #5 Internal Organizational Transformation, #6 Grantmaking and Funding, and #7 Self-Reflection and Education. This document is designed for anyone who has ever asked, “How can I help make the food system more just?”

Young Farmers Racial Equity Toolkit

This toolkit is a starting point. It aims to orient and incite members toward preliminary consciousness-raising and direct action. This toolkit does not detail a universally applicable pathway toward resolving pervasive racialized oppression; it is an initial resource for people who are overwhelmed by the breadth and depth of the problem, and need help determining how to start dismantling racism in their communities.

A Growing Culture: Hunger for Justice Series – Juneteenth Broadcast

A Growing Culture is committed to fighting for a just food system. We stand in solidarity with Black voices in the fight for food justice, and are turning our platform over to those on the frontlines. The virtual event we are facilitating on Juneteenth serves both as a platform for Black voices in the food system to share and hold space, as well as an invitation to the world — to corporations, foundations, donors, and allies — to see, hear and support these voices.

HEAL Food Alliance Webinar: Sowing the Seeds of Liberation

US agriculture’s roots in colonization and enslavement mean that Black and Indigenous and communities of color still have limited access to capital, financial support, and markets—this is changing, slowly but surely, thanks to the work of food and farm organizations, leaders and communities that are dismantling racism and white supremacy, and imagining alternate ways to be in relationship with land, nature and each other. Hear from some of these leaders and HEAL members in this webinar!

Leveling the Fields: Creating Farming Opportunities for Black People, Indigenous People, and Other People of Color

Farming offers a powerful path to build community wealth and resilience to challenges such as water pollution, droughts and floods, and lack of access to healthy food. However, US agriculture—particularly the pursuit of sustainable agriculture—is rife with obstacles for Black people, Indigenous people, and other people of color (BIPOC), including immigrants, migrants, and refugees. These obstacles include difficulty securing capital, credit, land, infrastructure, and information. For these groups, such challenges are compounded by longstanding structural and institutional racism. We review opportunities for governments, the private sector, philanthropies, and others to contribute to simultaneously building socioeconomic equity and sustainability in US food systems. To begin overcoming the history of racist policies and exclusion, it is our primary recommendation that solutions be developed by and with—rather than for—Black people, Indigenous people, and other people of color.

Tent Talk Podcast: Farmers Market Pros speak up

On this week’s episode, Tent Talk co-hosts have an important conversation about the civil unrest taking place in many parts of the country and what that means for farmers markets.

“Farmers market people are people who do things. Let’s band together. Let’s work for change.”

– Catt Fields White, founder of Farmers Market Pros

Black Lives Matter.