Our society’s agricultural practices have SERIOUS environmental consequences, from deforestation and soil degradation to mass pollution. Between 1992 and 2012, almost 31 million acres of agriculture land were irreversibly lost to urban development. Every year, an estimated 4 billion tons of soil and 130 billion tons of water are contaminated by U.S. croplands, becoming unviable and creating an overall economic loss of more than $27 billion.
The global food system also needs to be more resilient in order to meet the needs of a constantly growing human population. By 2050, demands for food, energy—even fiber—are expected to increase up to 70%.
It’s clear that our agricultural system is host to many systemic social issues. For example, despite the advances of the modern world, 740 million global citizens continue to face extreme poverty. In the United States, there is becoming a severe shortage of farmers as many current agriculturalists will soon age out of the industry. The average American farmer is now 57.5 years of age. On top of that, land ownership is also heavily white, the result of a long history of racism, oppression, and exploitation of communities of color that continues to this day.
Yet, despite agriculture’s enormous negative impacts, it also has enormous potential to be one of the key solutions to helping create a more just and sustainable planet.
Many agriculturally focused nonprofits understand this and leverage forms of sustainable, organic, and regenerative agriculture; not just to grow food, but to improve ecosystems, heal our climate, and provide healthy food equitably to communities across the country.
The following list highlights seven dedicated organizations who are working every day to develop food systems that are economically and societally beneficial and promote equal, fair access to fresh foods for communities across the United States.
Focused on connecting people to the land, Agricultural Stewardship Association protects communities’ working farms and forests (more than 27,000 acres to date) and promotes a vibrant future for agriculture and industry throughout New York State.
Georgia Organics connects organic food from Georgia farms to Georgia families. As the oldest state-wide nonprofit working directly with small and organic farms, Georgia Organics’ focus is to invest in and promote organic farming for the health of both Georgia communities and the land.
National Young Farmers Coalition is working to transform agriculture, shifting power into the hands of a more diverse, health-focused group of young workers, and changing policy to equitably resource a new generation of working farmers and ranchers.
Planting and supporting community orchards throughout the city of Philadelphia, Philadelphia Orchard Project champions community-led efforts to improve access to fresh food through creating beautiful and bountiful urban orchards and green spaces.
Plant Chicago equips individuals and businesses with the tools they need to live more sustainably. The organization runs a variety of programs and research projects with the underlying goal of creating a more circular economy (where waste generated in one sector of the economy is capable of being reused in another).
Sustainable Food Center helps to cultivate a just and regenerative food system to nourish individuals, communities, and the environment. This work directly supports small-to-mid-sized farms so they can thrive and support a healthier planet.
Tilth Alliance works to build an ecologically sound, economically viable, and socially equitable food system alongside Washington farmers, gardeners, growers, and those who eat the crops produced. Tilth Alliance believes in valuing the land and promoting equal access to it.
CONTENT QUESTIONS:
info@earthshare.org
PLATFORM QUESTIONS:
support@earthshare.org
Regenerative agriculture is the practice of enriching the land through farming and other agricultural practices; an effort that has been led by Indigenous Communities for thousands of years. Rather than stripping the ground of its nutrients, regenerative practices add to the health and strength of the soil and the overall ecosystem. In essence, it’s a decolonization of agriculture. 1“Regenerative Agriculture 101,” Natural Resources Defense Council ≫; “Native Growers Decolonize Regenerative Agriculture,” Green America ≫
Regenerative agriculture, as noted by One Earth, is “a pathway to an abundant and resilient future . . . shifting from the narrative of human dominion to one of healing our relationship with the Earth.” As a result, farms become more resistant to climate-related threats such as drought, flooding, and extreme shifts in temperature.2“Regenerative Agriculture and Food Systems,” One Earth ≫
Sustainable agriculture is the final step toward achieving regenerative agriculture. This is accomplished, in part, through the introduction of practices to improve environmental health, reduce the use of freshwater and harmful pesticides, and improve carbon storage in the soil.