In the U.S., communities facing food disparities need united action for transformative change. Empowering BIPOC and women in the food industry is crucial. This vision entails dismantling food apartheid, eradicating deserts, and prioritizing inclusive, equitable sourcing. Grassroots initiatives led by marginalized groups foster local solutions and empowerment. To achieve this, government, philanthropy, and private sectors must prioritize funding and resources. Education and skill development programs are vital for BIPOC and women entrepreneurs. This movement transcends mere sustenance, aiming for social and economic justice. It's about empowering communities to control their destinies, fostering unity, and reflecting our collective diversity and strength.

The presenters on this panel engage in innovative advocacy efforts to affect policy change through the formation and engagement of their food-security councils, coalitions, and networks. Hear about the ways in which each approaches the relationship- and trust-building that allow for the most effective collaborations locally and across the state.

More than 44 million people across the U.S. struggle every month to provide enough food for themselves and their families – it’s the highest rate of food insecurity we’ve ever experienced in this country. And that’s despite the multi-million dollars flowing into food banks annually. Clearly, charity alone doesn’t end hunger. And food production isn’t the problem either – we already produce enough food to feed 1.5 times our current population. We’re all impacted by this but especially our neighbors of color. So what if we built enough people power – especially people who are currently struggling to put three healthy meals on the table alongside the family farmers who produce nutritious whole foods – to amplify that food is a human right, to lift up the real reasons why people are hungry. Such as low wages, rising housing and healthcare costs, polluted waterways, and corporations using their wealth and political influence to capture more wealth. The National Right to Food Community of Practice is building such a coalition. We believe that food is a basic human right and that to make it so is to start developing solutions and changing public opinion and policy in the places close to home – our rural towns, our cities and suburbs, at our state capitals. How can we balance the tension between the current need for food charity, including destigmatizing its use, while working towards its eradication? Where does your work fit into the continuum from charity to justice… Or how could it? What programmatic features would turn it into a lever for systems change, propelling us to move along the continuum towards strong local food farm economies and the progressive realization of food as a human right?