Cultivating Powerful Participation: Reflections from a food justice and facilitation learning experience
In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and heightened awareness of systemic racism this past year, food systems practitioners are increasingly turning their attention toward the intersections of racial equity and the good food movement. Unpacking the racist history of the food system is a key step in this journey toward food justice, one that must be followed by intentional action bridging diverse perspectives through skilled facilitation. Through a project called Cultivating Powerful Participation, the University of Minnesota Extension and food justice practitioners across Minnesota are working together to equip leaders with the necessary relationships, skills, and tools to cultivate a vision of food justice. In this reflective essay, we draw on our experiences leading this initiative to demonstrate the power and impact of approaching food justice through an action-oriented framework that equips community food justice leaders to become seasoned facilitators. Using themes and evaluation data from our program, we share promising practices and specific facilitation methods that others can adapt to embrace a justice orientation in their work.