Food equity in Buffalo, NY: Collective action before, during, and after crises

The year 2022 was hard for Buffalo. That said, individuals and organizations have kindled hope by banding together to make this gritty city better for residents. As we move forward in 2023, I am sharing information from our research team that may be helpful for promoting food equity and food justice in Buffalo. Bullet points seem to work in the LinkedIn universe so that's how this post is written (don't tell my journal editors).

1. Hunger, food (in)security, food (in)equity/food injustice and lack of food sovereignty are related but different conditions. All of them exist in Buffalo. Here's a rather simplified explanation of each. Hunger is a physical sensation that comes from the lack of food in our bodies (we might be hungry if our lunch is late). Food insecurity is a chronic condition that lasts over time. Food inequity is a chronic condition that highlights the disparities between food-related people and places. For example, if two individuals work the same amount of time but do not get the same amount of food/nourishment, I would call that a food inequity. Lack of food sovereignty is the lack of control over one's food system. For example, someone might grow/harvest our food, but may not own the farmland or means of production. A better understanding of a particular challenge makes it more possible for us to identify the right solution. Emergencies need a fast response, chronic problems need a more complex long-term strategy (We cannot promote food sovereignty by dropping off food packets for people, for example. Likewise, in a blizzard, we have to figure out how to rapidly drop off food to eliminate/reduce hunger and its aftermath).

2. Crises and disasters reveal the ruptures in Buffalo's food system. In Erie County, more than 100,000 people are food insecure, and conditions in particular neighborhoods are more challenging: In a survey of East Side households, 37 percent of respondents reported having no access to a vehicle (for food insecure respondents that number was 45 percent), making it especially difficult for them to buy groceries. The May 14 massacre and the blizzard of 2022 has drawn attention to the limited number of stores within people's walking distance on the East Side, and people's inability to stock food because they are on limited income. Crises do not impact everyone the same. Crises also reveal what was already broken.

3. Support contemporary work of leaders embedded in the community. If you are new to food justice work in Buffalo/Erie county, welcome! We need you! (It has been incredible to watch the mutual aid effort in the wake of the blizzard!) Know that there is an extraordinary history of food justice and food equity work underway in Buffalo, especially led by Black women (people cannot afford to sit around until systems are fixed, so they keep working). Here's a list of Black-led organizations on the East Side that have been working to promote food justice. Some respond to crises, others respond to chronic conditions. Feed Buffalo, for example, responds to acute conditions delivering food to people facing emergencies (they believe in food with dignity, and serve healthy, culturally tailored foods; they will serve what they eat). African Heritage Food Cooperative is focused on food sovereignty by providing long-term food aggregation and retail, and steps into crisis response when called upon (their motto is "nothing less than ownership is acceptable"). Urban Fruits and Veggies is a Black-owned urban farm on the city's East Side that is focused on growing healthy food for community wellness. Freedom Gardens helps residents grow food in their backyards. Each organization understands its role in Buffalo. All are deeply embedded in the communities they serve. All work together. If you are interested in supporting emergency response, reach out to folks already engaged in emergency response. If you are interested in long-term change, reach out to folks already engaged in long-term change. Above all, please remember that people have been working on the East Side for decades (with limited or no resources at all). Be cautious about any efforts that redirect resources away from the East Side.

4. Think coalitions, not only individuals. Given the challenges that lie ahead, we have the opportunity to build on the collaborative spirit of Buffalo (in the blizzard thousands of people helped each other). There are a number of coalitions that work in the food space. Please join them. Here is a list in alpha order, with names of people who have played a key role in each (Apologies if I overlooked a coalition).

• Buffalo Food Equity Network ( Rebekah A. Williams )
• Food as Medicine coalition ( Marla Guarino, RDN )
• Food Future WNY ( Kimberly LaMendola )
• Greater Buffalo Urban Growers Network ( Joe Kurtz )
• Good Food Buffalo Coalition ( Jessica Gilbert-Overland, PhD
• Healthy Community Store Initiative (Sheila Bass)
• Juneteenth Agricultural Pavilion (Jaime Swygert)

5. Learning resources. Thanks to the philanthropic community in Western New York, you can learn about the East Side food system at this dashboard (shoutout to @ Beth Gosch at Western New York Foundation for coordinating the effort to raise resources for the dashboard). If you are interested in learning about Western New York as a whole -- or a different county or town -- you can use this comprehensive food system database. As you peruse this resource, you will see that Western New York is extraordinarily abundant: We have an incredible community of residents, farmers, food processors, distributors, retailers, the whole works. We have to work harder to link these resources more efficiently and more equitably. If you don't like perusing through a database, and would much rather read a report here's Growing Together, a food system plan for the Buffalo Niagara metropolitan region (it's a bit dated). The team at UB Food Lab is happy to answer questions if you email [email protected] (keep in mind that our team is exhausted; we will be slow in responding until February 01).

6. Time for policy response and change. Collective and equitable change in the food system can be accelerated with change in public policy. My work focuses on local governments so I will limit my remarks to that. Local governments across the United States have enacted food policies to strengthen their food systems, and create a safety net during crises. City of Baltimore is one example. There are hundreds - yes hundreds - of ways this is happening in the US and across the globe. Local governments can dedicate their operating and capital budgets to investing in the food system as a public infrastructure. They can pass laws that protect land for food production. They can dedicate staff to prepare food systems plans and policies. You can read about the many ways local governments are investing in food systems by perusing our national Growing Food Connections database. City of Buffalo and Erie County have begun to take steps in this direction (we have a food policy council established by law; county agencies have been meeting to discuss food equity; the city just issued an RFP for community food projects, etc.). That said, this city-region can do a LOT more. I would rather that our city/region be a global case for the most equitable actions, rather than a case study of how/why inequities persist.

In 2023, I am hoping that all of us take concrete steps to build a more equitable and just food system right here in my beloved city of choice: Buffalo.