2021 ANNUAL IMPACT REPORT
Healing Through Hope:
Centering Equity and Inclusion to
Build Sustainable Food Systems
RHODE ISLAND FOOD SYSTEM HIGHLIGHTS
$12B
food sector economic output
75,800
food jobs
55,000
acres in farmland
1,043
farms
$100M
wild-caught seafood and
aquaculture value
1 in 6
households struggling
with hunger
LETTER FROM THE NETWORK DIRECTOR
it is a serious thing / just to be alive / on this fresh morning / in this broken world.
— Mary Oliver
Working to create a more just and resilient food system in Rhode Island is a central part of the job description for Rhode Island Food Policy Council members. Actively engaging in undoing systemic White supremacy in all of its manifestations is the aim of the RIFPC staff, as we go about our daily activities in support of the Council’s priorities. This isn’t easy work: we do it knowing that our efforts may never reach a final, satisfactory conclusion.
In 2021, we took a stance to confront obstacles to justice and equity in our food system. What does this mean in action? It means the Council and staff explicitly committed to taking on work to rid the food system and adjacent systems from embedded institutionalized racism, acknowledging that it affects people differently across race, ethnicity, class, gender, immigration status, sexual identity, and more. Our efforts are far from perfect. We hope that, moving into 2022 and beyond, we will be able to do more, collectively, to heal some of the harms inflicted on underserved people and communities in Rhode Island.
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Our commitment can be summed up as follows:
- We will work intentionally to heal harms done to individuals as a result of systemic White supremacy. Beyond engaging in action collectively, all Council members and staff will work to overcome embedded social problems that are woven into our interpersonal relationships, group cultures, and individual biases. We believe that this work can release us from the limits placed on individuals by systemic White supremacy and allow us to better live our
shared values. - We will build relationships across boundaries of
privilege and oppression. Inequity leads to division.
Unequal access to food, healthcare, green spaces,
education, capital, housing, and more causes
everyone to suffer. We believe that the struggle for
justice from oppression must be addressed at its root
through undoing White supremacy. Partnerships built
on mutual trust with those most affected by inequity
are critically important in this work. - We will engage actively with those who are part of
the movement for justice. This means groups that
are acting to end environmental racism, theft of
native lands, cruelty on the basis of immigration
status, criminalization of poverty, and more. We will
support, observe, affirm, and engage in action with
those who are leading these movements. Our actions
will include policy advocacy, community asset
building, and more. - We will fulfill our role as the state’s backbone network
with a mission to create a more equitable, accessible,
economically vibrant, and environmentally sustainable
food system in Rhode Island. Our role as the Rhode
Island Food Policy Council requires a strong
administrative and financial foundation, a dedicated
staff, and an unwavering focus on developing
partnerships, programs, and policy priorities that
support our vision.
At this time of social, racial, environmental, public health,
and democratic crisis, we must urgently engage in
relationship-building as well as internal examination and
transformation in order to undo systemic White supremacy
and promote a more just and equitable food system in
Rhode Island. This message underpinned our work 2021:
- We welcomed our first BIPOC-majority Council
member cohort - We established working groups to support Council
priorities and grow our network capacity - We advocated for American Rescue Act Funding for
RI’s local food systems - We worked with national and regional partners to
facilitate a SNAP Delivery Pilot Ensures Residents with
Limited Mobility Have Access to Healthy, Fresh Food - We coordinated Rhody Feeding Rhody initiatives,
increasing food security and addressing the collapse
of markets for local produce and seafood - We provisioned technical assistance to local farmers,
bringing Rhode Island over $1M in federal grant funding
…and will continue to do so in 2022 and beyond.
We hope it inspires you to connect, engage, and
become a catalyst for change in your individual
work as well as our collective network’s efforts.
Nessa Richman
Network Director
MISSION IN MOTION: 2021 HIGHLIGHTS
Supporting and advocating for food producers
This year we: Convened a coalition that influenced legislators to include $2.5 million (as opposed to $0) in the state’s Green Bond for farmland preservation Connected with and supported an unprecedented number of urban growers through community partners to better...
Responding to the call for more advocacy learning
This year we: Developed and launched an innovative Food Leaders Lab pilot with a group of six network members who honed their ability to lead transformative food systems change, and gained a clearer understanding how to engage in public policy advocacy. Partnered with...
Joining forces to raise more voices
This year we: Deepened and diversified partnerships with intention to ensure equitable inclusion in the update process of RI’s food strategy, a detailed plan of action for improving the state’s food system by 2030 (due to be published in 2024). Advanced critical food...
Serving as a food system resource for state leaders
This year we: Had more direct communication with legislators than ever before, including meetings with each member of Rhode Island’s Congressional delegation. Brought RIFPC Farm Bill priorities directly to Washington, D.C., when Executive Director Nessa Richman met...
Leveraging the Local Agriculture and Seafood Act for All
The goal of the Local Agriculture and Seafood Act (LASA) grant program is to support the growth, development, and marketing of local food and seafood in Rhode Island. In 2022, this support was funded via non-state sources in an effort to encourage more applications...
Driving investments and helping build capacity for fellow local food systems champions
Providing technical assistance to state agencies, food system businesses, nongovernmental organizations, and community-based organizations increased their success in leveraging public (Federal) and private funding. RIFPC identified relevant resources and did direct...
Making advocacy more accessible to all
In part of welcoming more engagement in work groups and advocacy-related efforts, RIFPC was active in creating various channels and holding space for Rhode Islanders to share their perspectives, highlight important issues, and speak up within their personal...
Supporting structure, sustaining stakeholders
RIFPC proudly serves as the backbone network for food system stakeholders in Rhode Island and co-lead the New England State Food System Planners Partnership for the ‘New England Feeding New England’ project. We are dedicated to being a trusted resource, dependable...
Advocating for American Rescue Act Funding for RI’s local food system
Rhode Island received $1.13 billion of federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Following that announcement, RIFPC developed a comprehensive investment recommendation of $25.9 million, gathering input from hundreds of Rhode...
Providence SNAP delivery pilot ensures residents with limited mobility have access to healthy, fresh food
A win-win for local food retailers and homebound shoppers In 2021, RIFPC worked with national and local partners to facilitate a pilot program offering fee-free grocery delivery to Rhode Island SNAP recipients who are homebound or have limited mobility. The pilot...
Building markets that connect RI farmers and fishers with food insecure residents
Bringing fresh, local food from RI farmers and fishers to Rhode Islanders in need. The Rhody Feeding Rhody initiative pays growers and fishers for food to distribute to Rhode Islanders in need. This project, performed in partnership with Hope’s Harvest RI and the...
Providing technical assistance to local farmers in successfully applying for over $1M in federal grants
A record number of Rhode Island farmers and aquaculturists applied for the USDA’s Value-Added Producer grant in 2021, ultimately bringing $1,063,485 into the state’s food sector - also a record number. Rhode Island producers experienced increased demand throughout the...
THE NETWORK, BY THE NUMBERS
RIFPC’s network continues to enrich and expand. In 2021 we worked with many new partners: community-based organizations, nonprofits, and state agencies. Additionally, our 25 Council members launched new working groups focused on key topics like food access, food business, and food and climate. The creation of a full time position for a Communications Manager also greatly helped raise awareness of our mission and our overall reach, with 2,000 more individuals following us on social media and through our monthly e-newsletter than in 2020.
NETWORK
METRICS
6
Full Council meetings
69
Work Group members
15
Work Group meetings
POLICY
METRICS
$26.9M
investments recommended for ARPA funds
10
state hearings where testimony was provided
164
food systems-related bills tracked
EDUCATION
METRICS
16
presentations by staff and Council
35
educational meetings / trainings organized
196
people attending RIFPC events
COMMUNICATIONS
METRICS
14,036
website visitors
4,160
social media followers
1,509
newsletter subscribers
2021 COUNCIL
- Jazandra BarrosCo-Chair, Southside Community Land Trust
- Thea UphamCo-Chair, Farm Fresh Rhode Island
- Steven J. ArthursRhode Island Food Dealers Association
- Azure CyglerUniversity of Rhode Island, Rhody Wild Sea Gardens
- Joshua DalyRhode Island Small Business Development Center
- Raul FigueraFuerza Laboral
- Meghan GradyMeals on Wheels RI
- Alice HowardWashington Trust & SunRise Forever, Inc.
- Maura IvProvidence Public Schools
- Cathryn KennedyWright’s Dairy Farm and Bakery
- Bevan LinsleyAquidneck Community Table
- Caitlin MandelHope & Main
- Adena “Bean” MarcelinoBlack Beans PVD
- Katie MurphyGroundworks RI
- Jules Opton-HimmelWalrus and Carpenter Oyster Company
- Jair PerezTrap Box PVD
- Deborah PerryYWCA
- V. RaffiniSouthside Community Land Trust
- Jamie SamonsNarragansett Bay Commission
- Bridget SweetJohnson & Wales University
2021 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
- Diane LynchPresident
- Steven J. ArthursJoshua Daly
- Thea Upham
2021 STAFF
- Nessa RichmanNetwork Director
- Allison MontagnonCommunications Manager
- Rodney SolomonDirector of Workforce Initiatives
- Nina Wolff-LandauProgram Associate for Research, Evaluation, and Operations
FINANCIALS
FY2021: 1/1/2021-12/31/2021
REVENUE
expenses
FUNDING PARTNERS
Our funding partners are critical to our success. We are grateful for their ongoing support, which allows us to leverage innovative, inclusive ideas that create solutions to complex challenges, and foster a healthier, more prosperous food system in Rhode Island, as well as the Northeast region.
Rhode Island Foundation
Henry P. Kendall Foundation
Angell Foundation
The John Merck Fund
Island Foundation
Van Beuren Charitable Foundation
USDA Rural Development
USDA Agricultural Marketing Service