Change takes people. Since inception, our work has been continually forging strategic connections so that food and agricultural systems are shaped and determined by the people who comprise them, not corporate interests. Eighty-eight percent of the 168 projects we’ve supported have focused on reclaiming democracy such as building political leadership, strengthening civic engagement, mobilizing for policy advocacy, and organizing for community-controlled economies.

While we specifically provide grant funding for capacity building and movement support, and communications strategy such as narrative shift, digital organizing and creating/expanding media platforms, our work is to foster engagement, collective care, inspire new practices and build and unify power through political leadership education and direct organizing.

With a rich history of support to reclaim democratic control of our food and agricultural systems, we would like to highlight the work of two grantee partners:

HEAL (Health, Environment, Agriculture, Labor) Food Alliance’s mission is to build collective power to create food and farm systems that are healthy for families, accessible and affordable for all communities, and fair to the hard-working people who grow, distribute, prepare, and serve food - while protecting the air, water, and land.

HEAL Food Alliance has played a critical role in uplifting the stories and leadership of their School of Political Leadership, a six month long political leadership program that supports teams of talented, passionate, food and farm justice leaders who are advocating for policies and solutions that create inclusive and democratic food and farm systems that is accountable to all communities. In 2020, HEAL hosted a public-facing political education webinar series featuring their priority work: Dignity for All Workers and Their Families, Navajo Nation, Challenges and Opportunities for BIPOC Producers, Elections, Food and Agriculture, and Narrative Shift. This series reached thousands of participants and garnered social and financial support for their members.

Migrant Justice works to build the voice, capacity, and power of immigrant farmworkers to engage community partners to organize for economic justice and human rights. Migrant Justice gathers the farmworker community to discuss and analyze shared problems and to envision collective solutions. Through this ongoing investment in leadership development, members deepen their skills in community education and organizing for long-term systemic change. In 2019, FFCF began supporting their project, Milk with Dignity. This campaign builds a movement of farmworkers and allies calling on dairy companies to ensure respect for human rights in their supply chains.