Farm dinners and foodie events are not enough.
We have a rich history of hosting farm dinners and ‘foodie' events to highlight chefs like Alan Bergo and Yia Vang. We’ve worked with farmers, chefs, restaurants, breweries, authors, and policymakers who are committed to local, sustainable food.
We’ve been a place to connect with joy over food. To discover and share the joyful work of people in our community. But hosting farm dinners and foodie events are not enough.
We recognize that injustices — theft of land; farmworker, fisher-harvester and other food and seafood chain worker exploitation; lack of access to land, oceans, freshwaters, and healthy foods; food apartheid neighborhoods; and diet related health problems — are rooted in race, class and gender disparities.
As these injustices continue, all too often the voices of people of color, poor or low-income people and women are excluded from the mainstream food movement.
// Slow Food USA Equity, Inclusion & Justice Manifesto
Today, we are renewing our commitment to connecting you with the work of joy and justice in our community. Food justice means good, clean, fair food for all. Dismantling white supremacy and systems of oppression. It’s a commitment to connecting you to the incredible work that is happening in our own backyards. And, to connect community leaders doing the work with national and international leaders and resources to help them along the way.
It’s only a start, but we are starting immediately on six actions:
Conduct a membership analysis to assess: what does our membership look like now, what do we want it to look like, and how do we bridge that gap?
Pick 2-4 keystone/annual events led by indigenous and people-of-color led, grassroots organizations and rally our membership to show up, support, and listen.
Partner with Food Solutions New England (FSNE) to take part in their 21-day Racial Equity challenge each April.
Make a rubric/equity lens for all SFMN activities to ensure we are actively working to dismantle systems of oppression and white supremacy.
Check where we are in intercultural awareness, skills, and language as a group by taking the IDI inventory (Intercultural Development Inventory) and making an action plan for improvement
Make a food justice resources page for the website—highlight organizations and leaders doing the work in our community (with permission).
Will you join us in the community that has gathered around Slow Food Minnesota, compost our past, and create fertile soil for the future? Soil that can support the growth of the incredible food organizations, leaders, and businesses that call Minnesota home.
We’d love to hear your feedback or have you involved. Please email us: twincitiesmn@slowfoodusa.org or leave a comment below.
