Press Releases

Field to Market Announces Formation of Board Subcommittee and Planned Actions to Advance Racial Justice in U.S. Agriculture 

August 11, 2020

August 11, 2020 — Field to Market is proud to lend our voice to the historic movement for racial justice occurring across the country. We stand on the side of racial justice, not only as a sustainability priority, but as a moral imperative. Our industry, and Field to Market as a multi-stakeholder organization, must do more to ensure a food and agricultural system that is just, equitable and inclusive. We are honored to stand alongside member organizations that are engaging in critical conversations on the history of racial injustice in agriculture and committing to chart a new path forward.

Acknowledging the immense work that must be undertaken to dismantle systemic racism across our industry, our Board of Directors has established a board-level Subcommittee on Racial Justice, Equity, and Inclusion, which will guide the organization’s actions in the coming months and years. We recognize that we cannot move forward in achieving our vision for sustainable agriculture until we address our industry’s history in failing Black farmers and Black communities. Today, we share the following concrete steps that Field to Market will take to ensure that racial justice is prioritized within our organization’s ongoing sustainability efforts:

  • Prioritizing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
    Field to Market’s leadership commits to advancing racial justice, equity, and inclusion, and the newly established Board Subcommittee is tasked with identifying concrete strategies to ensure Field to Market is cultivating a diverse and inclusive alliance united in advancing a just, equitable and sustainable food system. By examining opportunities for our membership, its governing bodies and our programs, Field to Market seeks to effect structural and systemic change within the food and agriculture industry and the sustainability community.
  • Listening, Learning and Serving Alongside Underrepresented Organizations
    We commit to listening to, learning from, and serving alongside organizations that represent Black farmers and other farmers of color by ensuring their voices are heard. Led by the Board Subcommittee, Field to Market will conduct proactive outreach to organizations representing growers who have been marginalized by agriculture’s history of discriminatory and exclusionary policies and programs and seek to understand the implications and potential solutions across our five membership sectors. We will also conduct a series of listening sessions with BIPOC agricultural organizations and academic institutions to better understand where urgent action is most needed to break down systemic racism in food and agriculture. Lastly, we commit to greater racial diversity represented in the makeup of our membership, overcoming financial barriers to participation when and where they exist, and incorporating what we learn into our strategies for the future.
  • Elevating and Amplifying Diverse Voices
    Recognizing the power of our convening platform, we commit to elevating and amplifying diverse voices at events like the Sustainable Agriculture Summit, our Cross-Sector Dialogue series and member convenings and prioritizing dialogue centered on racial justice in food and agriculture. We commit to creating sustained opportunities for our members to learn from and partner with experts working to create a more just, equitable and sustainable food and agriculture system.

We recognize that structural and systemic change requires not only lasting commitment, but also continuous effort and accountability. We look forward to sharing progress with our members and external stakeholders as we implement these planned actions and seek to contribute to measurable progress that can be achieved toward a more equitable and sustainable future.

ABOUT FIELD TO MARKET

Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture® brings together a diverse group of grower organizations; agribusinesses; food, feed, beverage, restaurant, and retail companies; conservation groups; universities and public sector partners to focus on defining, measuring, and advancing the sustainability of food, feed, fiber, and fuel production. Field to Market comprises around 200 members representing all facets of the U.S. agricultural supply chain, with members employing more than 5 million people and representing combined revenues totaling over $1.5 trillion. 

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