In the past, the Northeast Farmers Market Board has remained silent on matters of racism and injustice. As an organization that has been predominantly white-led, we recognize that this silence has made us complicit in systems that encourage and perpetuate police brutality,  racism, and inequity.

 

Racial inequity has deep roots throughout agriculture and business ownership. Our food system has been built on the forced labor, uncompensated expertise, and stolen resources of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). While people of color make up a majority

of American farmworkers, they face disproportionate economic and systemic barriers to starting farms of their own and building livelihoods on their own land. We must ensure that equity, inclusion, and justice are at the forefront of everything we do.

 

Local food systems work is about the people of our communities, and it is about building connections and supporting one another. We are dedicated to the practice of anti-racism, meaning we will work to confront, rather than ignore, racial and systemic injustice. We are dedicated to amplifying the voices and growing the power of BIPOC-owned farms and food businesses, and of BIPOC-led community organizations, in order to create lasting systemic change.

 

We will be continuing these conversations to commit to a specific plan of action for creating a more just and equitable food system for and with our community. There cannot be food justice without racial justice.

 

We stand against racism and white supremacy.

 

In Solidarity,

Northeast Farmers Market Staff and Board of Directors