Advance Food Justice

Equitable access to nutritious foods should be a right afforded to all and not a privilege for the few.

Unfortunately, our nation’s food systems have been, and continue to be, defined by injustice. Enduring racism within our food systems limits Black, Indigenous, immigrant, and communities of color from accessing land, capital, and resources, has limited opportunities for growth and perpetuates existing racial and health inequities.

Our work focuses on advancing food justice by ensuring access to healthy, affordable, and culturally relevant foods. Food justice empowers communities to have self-determination of their own food production, distribution, and future.

Food Justice Goals

• Advance food justice by ensuring access to healthy, affordable, and culturally relevant foods.
• Advance policies that address food justice.
• Ensure BIPOC, immigrant, and rural communities help shape Minnesota’s food systems.
• Reduce food insecurity by addressing root causes and investing in community-identified solutions.

 

Food Justice Funding Initiative

The Food Justice Funding Initiative is a multi-year initiative, designed to advance food justice by ensuring access to healthy, affordable, and culturally relevant foods without barriers. Funded projects reflect community-led strategies to address food insecurity and support Black, Indigenous, Latine, Asian Pacific Islanders, and people of color (BIPOC) leaders in creating equitable change to local food systems.

Food Justice funded projects promote leadership and decision-making by people most impacted by food insecurity, hunger, and racial and health inequities. The Center for Racial and Health Equity has awarded $1.2M in funding per year for up to three years to 12 Minnesota nonprofit organizations. The following organizations have been awarded Food Justice Funding: American Indian Community Housing Organization (AICHO), Appetite for Change (AFC), Central Minnesota Community Empowerment Organization (CMCEO), Dream of Wild Health, Foundation For Essential Needs (FFEN), Hmong American Farmers Association (HAFA), Hallie Q. Brown Community Center, Inc., Minnesota Seeds of Justice (MNSOJ), Prairie Rose Agricultural Institute for Research, Innovation & Education (PRAIRIE), Sharing Our Roots (SOR), University of Minnesota Morris, and Urban Roots MN.

Learn more about this initiative.

 

Food Sovereignty Funding

Food Sovereignty Funding is designed to support Tribal Nations and Indigenous-led organizations in strengthening self-determination over community food systems, and increase access to and consumption of Indigenous foods.

Food sovereignty asserts the rights of Indigenous communities to define their own diets, create food systems that are rooted in cultural values, and rebuild relationships between people and the land. In Minnesota and across the nation, tribes and urban Indigenous groups are leading successful efforts to improve community health through food sovereignty and cultural revitalization. The Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and White Earth Nation are the first recipients of Food Sovereignty Funding.

Learn more about this funding.