What Do We Mean by Racial Equity?

An equitable society would be one in which there are improved outcomes for all. Race would no longer be a determining factor for health, wage, employment, life expectancy, and other disparities.

Mission

The Committee on Racial Equity in the Food System (CORE) is a long-term commitment to work internally and collaboratively with community and grassroots groups to address root causes of food system inequities and build collective solutions through the lens of structural racism as an entry point.

Goal

To create institutional food system change by addressing historical and current impacts of structural racism on our food and agricultural systems.

 This work includes:

• Understanding our role in the historical construction of the racial hierarchy (through higher education, agricultural and food systems work)
• Acknowledging our role as gatekeeper and being an ally to communities most impacted by food systems disparity
• Examining our policies, practices and procedures and working to make those more equitable

CORE hosts learning spaces to:

• Build a shared analysis, understanding and language around racial equity
• Share best practices and challenges around a process of engaging racial equity personally, institutionally and culturally

Approach

• CORE aims to:
  • Work to create capacity for those working directly in communities most impacted by food system inequities
  • Utilize an assets-based approach building on strengths of communities while understanding and analyzing power within those communities
  • Facilitate racial equity by serving as a pipeline to resources and funding for community-based groups
  • Magnify capacity to create larger impact
  • Convene workshops and training opportunities to build a cohort of racial equity in the food system practitioners
  • Facilitate leadership opportunities and visibility of community-based work
  • Facilitate pipeline to youth-led positions, education, skills, knowledge and experiences within the food system