Louisiana Food Systems Fellowship; Preparing Community Leaders For Transformative Food Policy Action

Commodities

Practices

Despite the incredible complexity and impacts of the global food system on our everyday lives, corporate obscurement, historic disenfranchisement, and the destruction of cultural foodways has cloaked many communities from understanding pathways to political change. The concept of sustainable agriculture and healthy food communities has entered the purview of many everyday individuals, yet comprehensive education on how to effectively address systemic challenges within the context of one’s specific community is often reserved for the most privileged community members. In Louisiana, this is incredibly important to address as many rural, BIPOC, or poor communities face the brunt of diet-related illness, food insecurity, expired infrastructure, and climate disruption. 

This project will support a four-month leadership incubator for grassroots community members looking to do impactful food systems outreach, advocacy, and engagement work at the neighborhood to federal level. Our program focuses on supporting a range of individuals with established to nonexistent experience with institutional food systems change, with an emphasis on rural and BIPOC leaders. This program will equip individuals to be effective changemakers in the sustainable agriculture movement, supporting an introduction to (or continuing the development of) a systems perspective of community-based food economies. The challenges that confront vibrant food systems resist simple, linear solutions; in part because they are by nature diverse, with complex economic, social, environmental, and political interconnections. Participants attend eight intensive workshops online with guest speakers from across the nation to learn the basics of what a food system is, what it looks like in Louisiana from a multitude of angles, and what tools are available to help them organize around issues pertaining to the food system. 

Graduates often go on to engage with one or more programs of the Lousiana Small Scale Agriculture Coalition (LSSAC) after completing Food Fellows. Beyond our organization, and across the state, there are opportunities to engage with: farmers market development, farm-to-school, community and civic leadership roles, and to contribute towards the establishment of a Statewide Food Policy Action Council (FPAC). This work will include convening food system leaders and stakeholders to identify and advocate for food policy priorities in Louisiana and cultivating local and regional food policy leadership and power throughout Louisiana through training, capacity building, and technical assistance. New Orleans Food Policy Council is the flagship council of the newly formed Louisiana FPAC and LA FPAC will continue to support and be supported by NOLA FPAC. Currently, LA FPAC is seeking statewide steering committee members who represent all sectors of the food system to build a robust network.

Program Goals: 

• Participants will gain a greater understanding of their own community’s food system from nationally recognized leaders in facilitated discussions
• Participants will connect with other advocates, producers, and local food leaders from across central Louisiana, and beyond.
• Participants will become more confident local food leaders in their own community, and gain a better understanding of their role in the food system.
• Participants will be guided and encouraged to become involved in continued food systems work including LA FPAC. 

1. Identify 20 community leaders from across the state, of which 50% are from Rural areas, 25% from Central Louisiana, 25% from Southwest Louisiana, 25% from North Louisiana, and a majority are BIPOC. 
2. Provide 27 hours of lecture and discussion-based workshops to participants on topics related to Food Systems, Organizing and Leadership, Food Policy, Food Sovereignty, and Food System Economics. 
3. See that 90% of participants complete the fellowship, completing the PhotoVoice project and reading assignments, averaging four hours a week of work 
4. Connect all fellows with the Louisiana Food Fellows Alumni network
5. Observe the enthusiastic involvement of at least 1/3 of graduates in the Louisiana Food Policy Action Council, connecting them with policymakers and relevant policy work on the local, state, and national scale.