Advancing Food Justice in Minnesota

Everyone deserves access to healthy, affordable, and culturally relevant food in their community. Healthy food is essential to community wellbeing. However, significant inequities exist, with systemic racism playing a profound role in determining the access Black, Indigenous, Latine, Asian Pacific Islanders, and other communities of color have to affordable and healthy food. Coupled with inequities in rural communities and low-income neighborhoods, the food system we have doesn’t work for many Minnesotans.

In an effort to improve the health of communities where access to healthy food is needed the most, the Center for Prevention at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota has awarded $1.2M in funding per year for up to three years to 12 Minnesota nonprofit organizations. This funding is part of the Center’s Food Justice Initiative, which seeks to increase access to healthy, affordable, and culturally relevant foods without barriers. Funded projects reflect community-led strategies to address food insecurity and support Black, Indigenous, 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. “Communities most impacted by health inequities are the best equipped to lead work to overcome the systemic barriers faced in accessing healthy food,” said Sarah Senseman, Racial & Health Equity Operations Director at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota. “Investing in community-led efforts to address food insecurity, increase food sovereignty, and support greater participation in decision making on policies related to food justice are critical to advancing racial and health equity.” 

Equitable access to nutritious foods should be a right afforded to all and not a privilege. Unfortunately, our nation’s food systems have 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, which limits opportunities for growth and perpetuates existing racial and health inequities.

Food justice empowers communities to have self-determination of their own food production, distribution, and future. “Our community funded partners hold the solutions to the challenges they face, and we are committed to investing in community-led solutions that increase access to healthy food, land, and food sovereignty,” said Carla Kohler, Community Health and Health Equity Senior Program Manager at the Center for Prevention. “In order to create a healthier future, it is essential that we work to increase leadership and decision-making by those most impacted by food insecurity, hunger, and racial and health inequities,” said Kohler.

The 12 organizations awarded Food Justice Funding represent diverse efforts that support community members’ rights to grow, sell, and consume healthy foods. Increasing access to land to grow food, advancing food sovereignty, supporting culturally responsive and community centered food distribution efforts, and empowering emerging food justice leaders are some of the primary goals of funded organizations. 

“Food justice to me means in an intentional, thoughtful, and culturally appropriate way of providing access to food, which historically has not been available,” said Liz Thomson, Interim Associate Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at University of Minnesota Morris. The UMN Morris Food Justice Initiative will advance access to healthy, affordable, and culturally appropriate foods for BIPOC and low-income students and rural community members as well as grow the next generation of food sovereignty leaders.

Sharing Our Roots (SOR), an agriculture nonprofit organization and regenerative farm located in Northfield, Minnesota, was also awarded Food Justice Funding. According to Charlie Zieke, Communications Coordinator for Sharing our Roots, “we are working to dismantle the systematic barriers that have denied marginalized groups equitable access to the basic needs that sustain all of us – food, water, and land. Food justice looks like a vibrant and interconnected network of healthy soil and healthy communities.” The Sharing Our Roots Farm supports more than 20 immigrant, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and emerging farmers through shared land access, infrastructure, and knowledge. Food Justice Funding will help SOR to support immigrant and emerging farmers with land access and improve community food security.

The following organizations were awarded Food Justice Funding. Learn more here.

• American Indian Community Housing Organization
• Appetite for Change
• Central Minnesota Community Empowerment Organization
• Dream of Wild Health 
• Foundation For Essential Needs
• Hmong American Farmers Association
• Hallie Q. Brown Community Center, Inc. 
• Minnesota Seeds of Justice 
• Prairie Rose Agricultural Institute for Research, Innovation & Education
• Sharing Our Roots
• University of Minnesota Morris 
• Urban Roots MN