Food Justice

WHY

Thousands of Austinites face barriers in accessing quality, fresh, affordable, and culturally relevant foods.  In Austin, 14.7% of the population is food insecure. This is higher than the national average of 12.9%

This is due to a combination of systemic inequities and practices in public policies at the local, state, and federal level as well as market forces in our food systems that have created both income inequality and a stark disparity in food access across incomes. 

For over a decade, GAVA has worked toward increasing access to healthy food in our neighborhoods. We’ve worked in retail spaces, schools and public facilities, but we recognize that there is more to do to ensure that low-income communities and communities of color in Austin can participate more equitably in our food systems, both as consumers and as entrepreneurs and service workers.

HOW

Food Security is influenced by four main factors: 

• Availability of healthy food 

• Affordability of produce 

• Awareness of food assistance programs 

• Mobility options 

GAVA’s Food Justice team organizes around creating access to affordable, nutritious, and culturally relevant food- defined by the community. This means creating new sources to purchase healthy affordable food in our neighborhoods, supporting fair labor practices, and promoting local and sustainable gardens and agricultural practices. Our efforts focus on empowering local food systems and community-led solutions, so that all residents can enjoy the benefits of good nutrition and food security. GAVA’s efforts and partnerships with residents, the City of Austin, and organizations like Sustainable Food Center, Urban Roots, and Farmshare Austin have resulted in several wins for food access since 2015, including:

• Neighborhood produce stands at schools, recreation centers and apartments

• Improvements to meal programs and options in after school and early childhood settings

• The City’s first Healthy Corner Store Initiative that brought more healthy options within walking distance of our neighbors

• A resident-led produce distribution program serving North and South Austin neighbors with fresh produce from Urban Roots

• Planning for the development of a community owned grocery cooperative and the initiation of a resident-led steering committee

How to get involved

What is new?

Currently, a multi-lingual Steering Committee of 7 residents convenes on a weekly basis to finalize their business plan which will allow a pilot cooperative grocery store to open up in the spring/summer of 2025. The pilot effort will be led by a board of directors which will be established in fall 2024. The board will guide decisions for the pilot program and the capital campaign which will be raising funds to develop a full service store.