Food Systems

Our Funding Focus

Children and families of color living in low-income communities face significant barriers in their access to good food, which compromises health, well-being and school readiness. Historic and current discriminatory policies limit access to physical and financial resources for farmers and entrepreneurs of color across the food system. Structural racism disconnects communities from their rich cultural food traditions and agricultural history. Land dispossession, and the unequal treatment of farmers of color, widens the racial wealth gap and stymies intergenerational and community wealth-building.

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these longstanding inequities and structural issues but local and regional food systems generated rapid innovations and pivots. Attention to local and regional food systems is one of the most resilient, effective ways to get healthy food to children and families – and universal access to nutrition in schools.

Our investments focus on:

• Strengthening the ongoing efforts of small-to-midsize farmers and farmers of color that are supplying good food to markets serving children and families in their communities.
• Leveraging the collective purchasing power of institutions like early child care, schools and hospitals to strengthen equitable food systems in native and non-native communities.
• Supporting financing efforts and providing access to capital for farmers of color and social enterprises that build community health and wealth.
• Advancing food and farm policy that incentivizes equitable and resilient food systems.

Our grantees making a difference

• The National Young Farmers Coalition is shaping the future of farming around racial equity.
• Explore the farm to early care movement with these resources and stories.