Civil Eats: California Farmers of Color Need More Support During the Pandemic. Can Private Efforts Help?
Governments, NGOs, and philanthropists are working to help small-scale farmers sell their goods—and feed the hungry.
[This article appears in Civil Eats]
The near-collapse of the system also presents an opportunity for radical change. Kat Taylor, philanthropist and founder of TomKat Ranch, sees the vulnerability that many BIPOC farmers are experiencing as a result of the pandemic as a core symptom of California’s industrialized food system.
In March, Taylor founded the Growing the Table initiative and pledged to raise $15 million in partnership with CDFA and the California Association of Food Banks (CAFB) to invest in programs that support BIPOC farmers throughout California.
Through 12 pilot programs anchored in different regions of California, Growing the Table works with community partners who address racial equity at all stages of the food system, from production to distribution to meal prep. Taylor’s goal with the pilots is to “see where is the connective tissue that we can take advantage of to secure better, durable markets for these producers and shore up their efficiency and bargaining power,” she said.
You can read the complete article here.
