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THE FOOD SYSTEM 6 BLOG

August Newsletter: Who gets to own our food & farming future?

8/31/2021

 
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This summer, the Food System 6 team has been taking time to step back and really deep dive on what does and doesn’t work - within our own work, across the food system, and in the broader conversation of respecting and honoring our Mother Earth. While there is much to be explored - some hopeful and some disheartening - the ultimate challenges we face are those presented by a consolidated food and finance system, and the detrimental effects it has on individual human and community health, diversity, and resilience.

A couple of really interesting pieces of content have risen to the surface for us lately. First up, from Food & Power’s Humon Heidarian, a three part series on the role of farmland investing in building a more equitable food system (see: Deep Pockets in Farmland Investment Exacerbate Racial Inequities). Also on the table this month is an excellent new interview from FS6 mentor and all-around shaker-uper, Errol Schweizer in conversation with Kamea Chayne of Green Dreamer (see: Ep 319 Navigating the exploitive food system towards worker justice).

While each of these pieces takes a unique perspective on the issues at hand, they overlap around the contradictions of working towards food justice in a capitalist system. Errol gives the challenging diagnosis that “the food industry is ground zero for injustice, imbalance, and exploitation.” And as we look out at a landscape where “the top 1% of farms operate more than 70% of the world’s farmland,” Heidarian notes that this consolidation “will disproportionately harm farmers of color in the U.S. and around the world who face barriers to credit access, disparities in intergenerational wealth, and less protection from land dispossession.”

 “Without regulation, [land markets] almost inevitably become markets of exclusion and concentration where inequalities steadily increase.” - Humon Heidarian

It is essential that we continue to elevate this conversation - to pull the curtains back on the dangerous trends that will continue to push frontline and marginalized communities further to the sidelines of the food system. We need to be asking questions beyond “is this healthy?” or “is this organic?” and start thinking about who is making the decisions, who is benefiting from the successes, and who is growing, processing, and profiting from the food on our tables.

 “I really feel if the decision-makers actually reflected the food system, food trends would look a lot different.” - Errol Schwiezer 

The good news is, the conversation is beginning to shift and innovators across the frontlines are rethinking what it means to focus on true systemic transformation, rather than the latest industry trends (see: FS6 CEO, Caesaré Assad in conversation with Food Tank). FS6 Portfolio innovators like Reem's, CoFED, Umi Feeds, and Firebrand Artisan Breads (amongst others) are using their work to build a more diversified, representative, and equitable food and agriculture landscape. We are seeing, more and more, industry leaders who understand that food is sacred. That it is a human right to have access to clean, healthy, and nourishing food. And FS6 is rising to meet this moment. This conversation is part of the work we are doing at FS6  to deepen our focus on justice and equity - stay tuned for more.
 
We are all in this together, as we build toward a more just and regenerative 6th Food System.

Join the conversation by following FS6 on social media.

FS6 Portfolio Updates

Articles featuring FS6 Portfolio Companies

Podcast: Why Food? - Arab Street Food, California Style (Heritage Radio Network, featuring Reem's California)
 
Podcast: Regenerative Poultry - An Indigenous Perspective (How Good, featuring Regenerative Poultry Systems)
 
Gleaning for Food Justice (Musings Magazine, featuring Farm to Pantry)
 
Making Oat Milk Creates Significant Waste—These 4 Brands Have Found Smart, Sustainable Ways To Use It (Well and Good, featuring Renewal Mill)
 
How Upcycling Fights Food Insecurity and Climate Change - Part 1 & Part 2 (Waste360, featuring Matriark Foods)
 
Podcast: How Innovative Data Solutions are Increasing Efficiency and Combating Climate Change in Agriculture (Larta Institute - Deeper Dive, featuring Regrow)

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JOB OPPORTUNITY: Matriark Food's is hiring a Chief of Staff/ Aides-de-Camp. To learn more about this opportunity, visit https://www.matriarkfoods.com/jobs.
 
Location: Remote part-time but need to be available in New York City for in-person work 3 days per week.
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Renewal Mill partnered with Oakland's Afikomen Jadaica shop to showcase their gluten free, vegan, kosher baking mixes. “While Renewal Mill is not a Jewish business, the fact that the owners chose to go through the process to make their business kosher means ‘they value being inclusive, and want to get their products in as many homes as they can,’ said [shop owner Nell] Mahgel-Friedman."
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Learn more about the inspiring work that FoodCorps is doing in Arkansas and across the country, and how covid-19 has shaped their work over the past year.  “Education and inspiration are just a few of the impacts that FoodCorps has made on students in Van Buren schools through maintaining gardens on campuses.”
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Farm to Pantry CEO, Duskie Estes, was featured on KSVY Sonoma Country radio talking about their gleaning program and how to get involved! Additionally, they are part of the Amazon Smile donation program so you can pick Farm to Pantry when shopping on Amazon.
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EFI has received a two-year grant from the California Workforce Development Board, in conjunction with Measure to Improve, LLC, to measure improved working environments and reduced emissions through their Produce & Reduce program.


News & Events from the Ecosystem

EVENT: Future of Plenty by Real Foods Real Stories
September 23rd
 
Join Real Foods Real Stories (RFRS) for their last storytelling event of the year! The free, virtual event will feature personal stories––told live––from an incredible lineup of women of color changemakers committed to building a food future of abundance, equity and care. A night of transformative stories for our food future, it is sure to inspire, activate, and bring together our communities at a time when we need it most.
 
The event’s featured storytellers include:
  • Afrofuturist writer, food scholar, and editor of the groundbreaking anthology Sistah Vegan, Dr. A Breeze Harper
  • Oaxaqueña Zapoteca chef, Indigenous foodways activist and creator of Mi Oaxaca, Fabiola Santiago
  • RFRS founder, story facilitator, and writer, Pei-Ru Ko––one of Food Tank's "14 Women Changing Food Around the World"
EVENT: Regenerative Food Systems Investment Forum
Scottish Rite Center, Oakland, CA
September 28-29, 2021

 
Regenerative Food Systems Investment forum has just announced the speaker lineup for this year's (in person!) event. These speakers are set to equip you with insight and tools to help you find success in the field, including:
  • Developing and activating a regenerative investment thesis
  • Identifying and evaluating investment opportunities in regenerative food systems
  • Setting return expectations for different investors
  • Measuring impact of investments
  • Engaging and integrating diverse sources of capital
  • And much more
APPLICATION DEADLINE: CAFF's Small Farm Innovation Challenge
Application deadline: November 1st
 
Whether you’re an engineer or just a crafty farmer, a startup or a team of grad students, Community Alliance with Family Farmers is challenging you to share or develop a new innovation that can help smaller-scale farms compete, survive and thrive. From hardware to software, mechanical harvesters to marketing apps, we’re seeking proposals for technologies that will help level the playing field, strengthen local food systems and promote on-farm sustainability. Winners will be showcased at the 2022 Small Farm Conference as well as at several other agricultural conferences, in video and online with the aim of helping shine a light on your innovation and you make your bright idea a reality.

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    FS6 is a nonprofit based in the San Francisco Bay Area whose mission is to support impact-driven entrepreneurs as they transform how we grow, produce, and distribute food. The organization runs a comprehensive accelerator program that mentors entrepreneurs by coaching them through a wide range of business and organizational needs. FS6 also works to educate stakeholders on the unique capital needs as it relates to redefining the food system.

    Learn more about our program offerings and how to apply here.


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  • About
    • Funders & Partners
    • Impact Report 2021
  • Programs
    • FS6 Accelerator >
      • Circular Economy Program
    • Funder Engagement
    • Building Community
  • Portfolio
  • News & Events
    • Financial Coaching 2022
  • Resources
    • Newsletter Sign Up
    • FS6 Articles & Research
  • Apply
    • Participant Expectations
  • Donate