This week an online directory and map called The Color of Food has been launched to the public, listing and locating farmers of color as well as other food system and food movement communities of color. It has become clear that those who control our broken food system do not represent our most impacted communities: communities of color. This imbalance is also unfortunately being reflected in the current food movements - movements such as organic and sustainable, farm-to-school, locavore and even urban gardens and food justice - which have rapidly come into the limelight lacking input from diverse communities. The Color of Food aims to address this problem by raising the voices of farms and food initiatives being led by people of color.
“The Color of Food community believes these voices must be heard or we will not have a truly just food revolution,” says Natasha Bowens, founder of The Color of Food. “The directory creates a space to identify, map and connect our communities, while demonstrating successful models for changing the food system and addressing the systemic racism that lies within its structure. This systemic issue is the root of so many disparities we see today, specifically food access, farmworkers’ rights, farmers’ land rights and the health of our communities.”
"White supremacy permeates every aspect of American society. It clearly manifests within the food system and the burgeoning ‘good food revolution’. That is why it is especially important that African-American, and other non-white farmers and gardeners network, and are encouraged and supported. The Color of Food contributes to that work," says Malik Yakini, Color of Food Board Member, IATP Food and Community Fellow and a founder of the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network and D-Town Farms in Detroit, MI.
“The North Leupp Family Farm is part of a network of independent grassroots Diné (Navajo) and Hopi organizations… [and] we need to become part of a nationwide network of Indigenous Peoples and People of Color. This can only become a reality if we know who is out there. Net sites like the Color of Food gives us that opportunity,” says Hank Willie, North Leupp Family Farm (NLFF) of the Diné (Navajo) Nation in Leupp, AZ.
“I'm so glad to find [The Color of Food]! I'm Chinese heritage, born and raised in the US. I've done food and urban gardening/ag for many years and have farmed rurally. I'd love to be in your directory and to have the young adults of color with whom I work and who are training as urban farmers both be in the directory and use it as a resource. I'm so glad you're doing this,” says Irene HongPing Shen of Brooklyn, NY.
“This site and work are necessary, many have spoken about it for sometime…about how necessary a directory would be in this movement,” says Tanikka Cunningham, Executive Director of Healthy Solutions in Washington D.C.
“We are of course interested in being listed and working with this initiative. We have worked for many years to keep the people of color rural communities engaged and united to good effect, and with the additional voices of the larger food sector, we can do much more,” says Lorrette Picciano of Coalición Rural.
For More Information:
It is quick and easy to join the directory or to help spread the word among farmers, workers and food leaders in our beautiful black, Latino, Native and Asian communities. Please visit http://thecolorofood.org/networkform.html for more info and to sign-up for the directory.
The Color of Food is a non-profit initiative focusing on the intersection of race and food by raising the voices of Asian, Black, Latino and Native American farmers and food system/food movement communities in the dialogue on just and healthy food. We do this by highlighting models of farm and food initiatives led by communities of color, telling farmers’ stories, and repainting the picture of food and agriculture for people of color.
Visit http://thecolorofood.org for more info.