The Kresge Foundation has announced a $6.1 million grant in support of the Equitable Food Oriented Development Collaborative, which is working to advance equitable food-oriented development (EFOD) efforts in cities across the country. 

EFOD is a community-anchored development strategy that centers BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) food and agriculture projects and enterprises as vehicles for shared power, cultural expression, and community asset building. The grant will support the collaborative’s infrastructure, support plans for DAISA Enterprises to staff and facilitate the collaborative, and the collaborative’s re-granting process. Community Services Unlimited will support the EFOD practitioner-led steering committee, provide additional coaching for the EFOD Fund, manage convenings, and help expand the number of technical assistance advisors from communities of color. And Community Credit Lab will oversee the EFOD Fund and serve as a legal and lending partner. 

“While food is a crucial component, the work is about so much more than that,” said Monica Valdes Lupi, the foundation’s managing director of the health program. “What’s distinct about EFOD is that while conventional food systems work may unintentionally cause harm to communities through gentrification, displacement, or extraction of local resources, EFOD instead fosters strong social capital networks, equitable asset development, increased civic engagement, and decreased displacement.” 

(Photo credit: Getty Images/Hiraman)