We are writing in response to In Greenwich, a gold standard food pantry. But others struggle published on August 25. Thank you for educating your readers on the unprecedented levels of food insecurity in Connecticut.
The article thoughtfully demonstrates the pressures food pantries undergo and their reliance on volunteers and financial assistance in order to provide a dignified experience for their clients. Food assistance programs play a vital role when it comes to addressing food security. Resources to support them are abundant in our state and should be distributed equally. Food pantries are on “the front lines” in a specific way and are doing extraordinary work to meet the needs of their communities.
As residents of Greenwich and Bridgeport who are deeply invested in food systems change, we were curious to see how this article was framed. Instead of comparing one pantry against another and perpetuating stereotypes and false narratives – with Greenwich as the ‘gold standard’ community and Bridgeport as the ‘struggling’ community, is it possible to offer a new narrative to the CT Mirror’s readership?
Despite its reputation as being a wealthy enclave, Greenwich is in fact economically and culturally diverse. Including Neighbor to Neighbor there is a strong network of food system changemakers working to make access to food equitable through policy change, education, community gardens, food rescue, and strategic planning. Meanwhile, Bridgeport as the food justice hub that it is, under the direction of BIPOC leadership, has grown initiatives such as urban farm businesses, food entrepreneurship, mutual aid, a network of farmers markets, as well as Liberated Land Cooperative, which provides freshly grown food from Bridgeport farms through CSA shares. In addition, the Bridgeport-based Sovereign Land Trust is developing a plan designed for and by BIPOC advocates that will provide land to farmers so they can care for and feed their communities on their own terms.
Moving forward, we ask CT Mirror to dig deeper into the nuances of food justice work, offer a more comprehensive analysis and acknowledge the alliances that exist between our communities as trusted relationships across issues, sectors and differences are at the core of any real social change.
Connecticut, with Fairfield County in particular, is one of the most economically disparate states in the country. Food insecurity is symptomatic of many compounding factors, as the article points out, including a harmful industrialized food system. These issues are big, complex and interconnected. Every community, in some capacity, no matter how well or under-resourced, has a ‘gold standard’, and at the same time, struggles to make ends meet.
Telling the stories of communities outside our own is not easy. It requires trust and relationship building. We all need to educate ourselves about what takes place in other communities and we would appreciate you taking time to better understand our respective communities. Work with us to transform the food system and help reframe the story.
We invite you to join The Foodshed Forum, in partnership with Sovereign Land Trust, Food Rescue US-Fairfield County and Save the Soundfor A Tale of Two Counties: Addressing Food Insecurity in Fairfield County Through Community Empowerment, on November 18, 7 p.m. at CoCreate in Stamford. For more information visit: https://thefoodshednetwork.org/foodshed-forum-2024
Reggy Saint Fortcolin, a Bridgeport resident, is the founder ofFridgeport andovereign Land Trust. Ali Ghiorse, a Greenwich resident, is the founder of The Foodshed Network
