Food Justice Menu: Examples of Partnerships & Policy Changes Improving Food Access
A Talk by Sarah Buranskas , Teaira Collins , Jodi McLaughlin and Miriam Seidel
About this Talk
Historic and current urban planning and housing policy are often credited with divestment of communities, resulting in food apartheid, which scholar Ashante Reese suggests “comes from a place of anti-Blackness.” The food justice movement has been using advocacy and policy to begin working toward more equitable local food systems. The City of Pittsburgh created its own Food Justice Fund grant program in 2023, and organizations like the Pittsburgh Food Policy Council are using the Greater Pittsburgh Food Action Plan to create a just, equitable food system for Allegheny County residents. However, food justice is more than providing funding. This presentation will provide examples of how other U.S. cities, such as Chicago, Minneapolis, Durham, and Boston, are addressing food apartheid through rewriting policy and collaborating with organizations working on behalf of afflicted communities. Afterward, the presenters will host an open discussion to explore how these examples can be incorporated into the City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County.