Archives of General

HEAL Statement on USDA Equity Commission’s Final Report

February 26, 2024: Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Equity Commission issued its final report of recommendations for the USDA to “address historic and current discrimination and promote equity.” The Commission’s report provides the USDA and Congress with a guide to righting past wrongs and ensuring it provides programs and services equitably to […]
1 year ago

Sovereignty & Resilience: HEAL’s Winter Update

Welcome to the HEAL Food Alliance quarterly newsletter! To stay up to date on what’s happening in the food and farm justice movement, subscribe now » Everywhere we look this winter, we see beautiful acts of resistance, community building and care. At HEAL we recognize that our sovereignty and liberation is interconnected. It will take […]
1 year ago

HEAL Statement on House Democratic Principles for the Next Farm Bill

February 8, 2024: On Wednesday, the House Agriculture Committee Democrats published a memo laying out the principles the next farm bill should include to win the support of the House Democratic Caucus. In response to the memo the HEAL Food Alliance issued the following statement: The HEAL (Health, Environment, Agriculture, Labor) Food Alliance is glad […]
1 year ago

Dysfunctional Congress Left American Farm Workers in Limbo

*note: This op-ed was originally published in the the Opinion section of the Messenger on October 18, 2023 Dysfunctional Congress Left American Farm Workers in Limbo By Jose Oliva and Sophie Ackoff Although Congress was able to make a deal this weekend and avoid a government shutdown, the 21.5 million people working in the food […]
1 year ago

Together We Thrive! HEAL’s 2023 Year in Review

Download “Together we Thrive” – HEAL’s 2023 End of Year Report! Everywhere we look, we see beautiful acts of resistance. Hundreds and thousands of people upending their own lives. Saying no genocide, yes to land back. We see poetry and prayer. Protests and possibility. People making meals for each other, giving each other car rides, […]
1 year ago

Bills, Bills, Bills: Nine pieces of legislation that could push the Farm Bill in the right direction

As part of the farm bill process, members of Congress introduce “marker bills” to try to get provisions included into the larger bill. We do not expect Congress to pass marker bills as standalone bills – they are often not politically feasible to pass on their own. But they do get people talking and help build momentum for policies that should be included in the larger (“omnibus”) bill. Marker bills are also an opportunity for advocacy, enabling community groups and legislators to work together to address issues that impact our food system and our lives. 
1 year ago

HEAL Statement of Opposition to Genocide

HEAL Statement of Opposition to Genocide HEAL is rooted in the understanding that stolen land, genocide, and the forced removal of peoples from their land is the foundation of today’s destructive U.S. food system. What we are witnessing in Palestine is a genocide that mirrors the brutal occupation of what is now the United States. […]
1 year ago

Climate Resilience: HEAL’s Summer Update

Welcome to the HEAL Food Alliance quarterly newsletter! To stay up to date on what’s happening in the food and farm justice movement, subscribe now » As we soak up the final weeks of summer, we are reflecting on the super bloom of our alliance’s collective work – from building climate resilience in our communities […]
2 years ago

Advocacy & Action: Reflections on our Final SoPL Session!

By Mina Seck, Community Food Manager, SPROUT NOLA, and Member of the “A Greener New Orleans” SoPL team I’m extremely lucky to be a part of the A Greener New Orleans campaign, a coalition of growers, food access advocates, policy advisors, and community members who are advocating for a policy platform in New Orleans that […]
2 years ago