Increasing Equity in the Food System

Letter from our Executive Director, February 2022

An equitable food system is one in which everyone, especially people living in low-income communities and communities of color, can participate, benefit and prosper. Please just sit with that for a moment: everyone can participate, benefit and prosper. Everyone can prosper. ​

​I was recently interviewed by Jessico Dickerson, Marketing Coordinator at The Dill Pickle Food Co-op in Chicago. Dill Pickle chose us to be their February “Round-Up at the Register” recipient, and they asked how we can increase equity in the food system. Of course, by writing out an answer I can come up with a more refined list than what I gave them in person, but the message is the same. There are many, many ways to increase equity in the food system and the first step is to understand what constitutes an equitable food system. ​

An equitable food system is one in which everyone, especially people living in low-income communities and communities of color, can participate, benefit and prosper. Please just sit with that for a moment: everyone can participate, benefit and prosper. Everyone can prosper. 

To me, focusing on the word ‘prosper’ is key to increasing equity in the food system because it’s really easy to think that participation and benefit just mean access to fresh food, and that access to fresh food is enough. But it’s not even close. Should you support your local food pantry and advocate for food access in your community? Absolutely. But here are a few more ways you can deepen your efforts to bring about a more equitable food system:

1. Intentionally seek out food and farm products from black, indigenous and other farmers of color, from farmers in the LGBTQIA+ community, and from farmers with a disability.
2. Purchase as close to the source of production as possible, in order: 
   1. Direct marketing channels: On farm sales, farmers markets, CSAs
   2. Cooperative, democratically-run businesses (Dill Pickle is an example!)
   3. Local, independently-owned, mission-driven, for-profit businesses
   4. Then, perhaps, subscription-based food delivery (Do your research!)
   5. Lastly, national grocery chains and stores
3. Support efforts to quickly and dramatically increase land access for farmers in the aforementioned communities. Check out the good work being done by our friends at Illinois FarmLink. 
4. Advocate for policy change that is designed to specifically broaden participation and representation in our food system by supporting the initiatives of groups like:
   • Chicago Food Policy Action Council
   • Illinois Stewardship Alliance
   • HEAL Food Alliance
5. Support organizations who are purposefully and thoughtfully training the next generation of diverse, sustainable farmers and working to increase equity in the food system. Yes, that’s us. It’s also groups like:
   1. Black Oaks Center
   2. Advocates for Urban Agriculture
   3. Windy City Harvest
   4. The Land Connection

February is the month we celebrate Black History, the month we celebrate love and friendship, the month we celebrate CSAs during CSA Week. The message is clear, don’t you think? Celebrate February by taking action today to support a more equitable food system. Everyone can and should prosper.

Author

Jackie de Batista, Executive Director