Urban Growers Collective says the Community Food Navigator has officially transitioned into a program under the auspices of UGC, a move that aligns with the collective’s mission and vision, deepening the organization’s ability to address inequities and structural racism in the food system, according to a news release.
Community Food Navigator envisions a food system rooted in justice, in which the people who produce, distribute and consume food also control its production, distribution and governance, the release said. The mission is to expand food sovereignty — particularly in Black, Brown and indigenous communities — by engaging Chicago-area food growers, producers, educators and eaters; strengthening connections and collaboration; telling more truthful stories about the Chicago food ecosystem and redistributing power.
Urban Growers Collective is a Black woman-led 501(c)3 nonprofit based in Chicago. Rooted in growing food, UGC says it cultivates nourishing environments that support health, economic development, healing and creativity through urban agriculture. UGC addresses inequity and structural racism that exist in communities of color and throughout the food system, using urban agriculture as their tool and method, the release said.
“Together, UGC and the navigator will continue the work of engaging, supporting and mobilizing Chicago’s growers, food leaders and educators. This next chapter strengthens our collective efforts to foster food sovereignty and justice in Black, Brown and Indigenous communities,” said UGC CEO Erika Allen.
UGC said it is excited to expand its impact by welcoming the Community Food Navigator’s team, led by Director Nick Davis, adding that the navigator team will remain steadfast in its mission to:
- Convene the Chicago Foodshed’s Black, indigenous and people of color growing community to foster trust, build relationships and clarify collective priorities.
- Coordinate and facilitate food systems actors to meet both urgent and long-term priorities.
- Tell stories that amplify shared goals and help make resources more accessible and digestible.
- Co-design tools like the navigator app that bolster capacity for the organization’s community to do all of these things on their own terms.
Chicago’s food system thrives thanks to a network of backyard growers, community kitchens, mutual aid groups, urban farms, food educators and more, the release said. The navigator’s transition to becoming a division of UGC provides the organization with the stability and capacity to continue serving as a vital space for the community to organize, collaborate and advance strategies that challenge systemic divestment and inequities while also amplifying the reach and impact of UGC’s programs and food distribution efforts, the groups said.
