Brooklyn Food Coalition - Press Profile
2011 Union Square Award Recipient
33 Flatbush Avenue, 5th FloorBrooklyn, NY 11217
www.brooklynfoodcoalition.org
Media Contacts: Adriana Velez, Co-Founder
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it | (347) 329-5093
The Brooklyn Food Coalition (BFC) is a grassroots organization working to promote food justice, food security, and a sustainable food system in Brooklyn. BFC is creating a strong network of individuals, community organizations, and public schools engaged in addressing these issues. This multi-racial, multi-cultural alliance of residents and community-based groups is changing the food system, neighborhood by neighborhood. Through local chapters and special interest workgroups, BFC educates Brooklynites about how the food system works and how to change it.
BFC neighborhood groups address healthy food access, develop leadership, and build alliances with community organizations. Participants learn from each other and coordinate volunteers for food-related community projects, urban farms, community gardens, food pantries, and farmers’ markets.
Other BFC groups organize around specific issues. Among them, the Brooklyn School Food Network consists of school-based parent groups in low-income communities advocating for system-wide school food improvement and organizing salad bars, school gardens, water jets, and more fruits and vegetables in the cafeteria. The Food Policy Committee is building an awareness campaign about the U.S. Farm Bill, which currently mandates taxpayers to pay commodity-based agribusiness farms billions of dollars in subsidies. The BFC Committee advocates for more equitable policies that support small and moderate-sized farms growing fruits and vegetables and for increased funding for the SNAP/Food Stamp program.
BFC also conducts research and advocacy working with partner organizations. It increases public awareness about the food system through educational programs and connects people with affordable fresh food sources. BFC is planning a food conference for May 2012 which will focus on the connections between health issues, sustainability, and social justice.