The purpose of the DEI committee is to work towards creating a platform of leadership for underrepresented communities in our food system. We recognize systemic barriers to opportunity and access across race, gender, class, ethnicity, age, ability, sexual orientation and geography. We seek to address those barriers through thoughtful design and program/policy implementation. We seek to create and support member organizations in developing inclusive spaces for staff, volunteers, participants, and clients.
The committee will make program, policy, and procedural recommendations to the Leadership Team to ensure equitable outcomes in our food system via the Network. We will support subcommittees in the use of an equity lens as they approach their topical project areas. As a committee, we are committed to ongoing learning and bringing principles of equity into the Network.
OCFSN’s Equity Statement
Oregon Community Food System Network acknowledges that our food system is built and maintained on a foundation of oppression & systemic racism of Native peoples, people of color, and immigrants. Through a coordinated statewide network, we address this historic & systemic inequality in land ownership, food access, and labor by prioritizing the allocation of resources, decision making and power to historically excluded communities. We aim to hold ourselves accountable by building relationships, seeking inclusive participation, and practicing transparency.
Note: This equity statement is a living document to help member organizations start conversations and reflect on Oregon’s history. If you would like to add feedback to this process please contact [email protected]
The DEI committee:
- Provides learning opportunities, share resources & organize trainings around diversity, equity & inclusion for member organizations.
- Develops and guides an equity strategy for the Network.
- Looks at internal structure & representation at OCFSN and suggest changes/opportunities to be more diverse, equitable & inclusive.
- Makes recommendations to the Leadership Team on how to use funding acquired for equity.
- Makes recommendations on DEI efforts and opportunities such as TA assistance, contract opportunities, etc.
- Supports OCFSN staff, leadership team & working groups in using an equity lens for decision making. Committee members commit to engage in a process of ongoing & collective learning focused on diversity, equity & inclusion
Working Definitions
- Diversity: full range of differences and similarities visible and non-visible that make each individual unique, such as race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, abilities and disabilities, religion, age, and perspectives arising from different backgrounds.
- Equity: understanding that there are varied needs of different groups based on identity. Equity values equal outputs and recognizes that everyone starts from a different place.
- Inclusion: environment that engages multiple perspective, where diverse individuals are able to participate fully in the decision-making processes within an organization, group (or network). It’s ensuring a seat at the table.
Resources
This list of resources was compiled by member organizations during and after the 2017 OCFSN convening, for the purpose of collective education. Feel free to send additional resources to [email protected] to add to this list.
Organizational Assessments
- D5’s Foundation DEI Self-Assessment
- Meyer Memorial Trust Applicant Tools and Resources
- Coalition of Communities of Color’s Organizational Assessment tool.
- Building blocks for equity: compilation of tools to establish a solid organizational equity foundation from the Regional Arts & Culture Council
- Race Matters: Organization Self Assessment focusing on staffing, operations, and next steps
- Tool for informing planning and strategy from Racial Equity Tools
- Oregon Metro’s Strategic Plan to advance racial equity, diversity, and inclusion
Organizational Role Models
- Sisters of the Road: organizational & personal policies.
- Going beyond an anti-discrimination statement and equal opportunity employer statement on job descriptions. Here’s an example from Resolutions NW: “RNW embraces excellence through diversity, advocates the principles and spirit of affirmative action, and is strongly committed to the promotion of race, gender, ability, and class equity through our hiring process. To this end, RNW is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates representing untapped communities are highly encouraged to apply.”
- The Racial Equity Coalition of Southern Oregon
- New England’s Food Solutions – 21 Day Equity Challenge
- Protocol for Culturally Responsive Organizations
Books, Articles, and Recorded Talks
- Structural Racism in the Food System: An Annotated Bibliography
- Cultivating Food Justice by Alison Hope Alkon and Julian Agyeman (overview here)
- The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman
- “Municipal Government and Food Justice” by Megan Horst
- The Food Activist’s Handbook by Ali Berlow
- Ladonna Redmond Ted Talk
- “Unnatural Causes: Is inequity making us sick” – PBS series from 2008.
- The Color of Food: Stories of race, resilience, and farming by Natasha Bowen
- Building the Case for Racial Equity in the Food System
- Food Firsts Racism in the Food System series
- Dismantling Racism in the Food System Backgrounder: https://foodfirst.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/DR1Final.pdf
- https://foodfirst.org/publication/race-and-corporate-power-in-the-us-food-system-examining-the-farm-bill/
- https://foodfirst.org/publication/black-agrarianism-resistance/
- https://foodfirst.org/publication/unbroken-connection-to-the-land/
- https://learn.uvm.edu/foodsystemsblog/2015/04/20/raj-patel-on-gender-inequity-in-the-food-system/
- https://foodfirst.org/publication/more-than-a-bingo-hall-a-story-of-mashpee-land-food-and-sovereignty/
- https://foodfirst.org/publication/everyone-is-downstream/
- https://foodfirst.org/publication/decolonize-your-diet-notes-towards-decolonization/
- http://www.yesmagazine.org/people-power/4-not-so-easy-ways-to-dismantle-racism-in-the-food-system-20170427
- Equity as a common cause: How a sustainable food systems network is cultivating commitment to racial justice.
Trainings
- Oregon Food Bank webinars do a great job of illustrating equity and the need for it.
- Nikki Silvestri
- Common Good Works, Bill Grace consulting
- Center for Equity and Inclusion
- PCUN’s Know Your Rights campaign
- The Nonprofit Association of Oregon has a great series of workshops. Cliff Jones is a very talented facilitator with helpful resources.
For Hiring
- Why we need to end the culture of “culture fit.” – Nonprofit AF
- 19 tips for making your job posting so amazing – Nonprofit AF
- Can we be a little nice to job applicants? – Nonprofit AF
- Guess who doesn’t fit in at work? – NY Times
- Diverse teams feel less comfortable and that’s why they perform better – Harvard Business Review
- Hiring Toolkit from position description to interview – avarna
- OFB’s Equity Statement
Community Engagement Resources:
Resident Engagement Guidebook