Engaging Diverse Rural Audiences in Food Systems Planning

Covid-19 exposed the inequities and vulnerabilities of contemporary food systems. While farmers, farm employees, and food systems workers were deemed “essential,” they were not compensated fairly while food processing companies inflated food prices and reaped record profits. Outbreaks in processing plants disproportionately affected low wage workers from racial and ethnic minorities and led to community spread in rural areas. Food insecurity spiked with continued prevalence in single-mother, Black and Hispanic households in rural communities as well as large cities.

Most planning focuses on urban environments, but to achieve equitable, sustainable, and resilient food systems, planning must bridge the rural-urban divide. Panelists will share experiences and lessons learned on identifying, engaging, and including diverse rural audiences to create regional linkages and support for more diversified markets and infrastructure needed to strengthen community food systems across the rural-urban continuum.

This session promises to be a lively discussion between food systems professionals from across the country sharing perspectives from public health, conservation, community and economic development. The moderator will offer observations and pose a series of questions to panelists related to planning approaches, engagement techniques, overcoming challenges, and food systems outcomes. Audience members will be encouraged to participate and share their own examples.

Access this session with closed captions (Wordly)