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Food connects us to our health, our economy, and each other.
When food works better, everything around it does too.
Food shapes every part of our lives, but our current system doesn’t work for everyone.
Roughly one in eight Americans buy groceries with the help from SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Today, most fruit eaten by Americans is imported and, if current trends hold, most vegetables will be imported by the early 2030s.
Approximately 5 million people in the U.S. lived in communities with no access to grocery stores in 2023.
Source: healio.com
At Fair Food Network, we know food is a powerful lever for change.
But at Fair Food Network, we know that food is also a powerful solution.
Where our food comes from matters, and when we invest in local food, we’re not just putting food on the table.
We’re circulating dollars through our entire state, creating jobs and expanding opportunity from rural farms to urban markets.
With abundant fresh water and a climate moderated by the Great Lakes, Michigan is uniquely positioned to produce food at scale.
But much of what's grown here doesn't stay here, and we're losing farmers who can't make enough money this way.
We're connecting Michigan farmers, food businesses, and families.
What we're building here can help shape solutions nationwide.
Our Solutions
So, how do we get there?
Nutrition Incentives
We support nutrition incentive programs nationwide that expand access to healthy food for families while supporting local retailers and farmers.
Impact investing
We’ve invested over $8 million to support local food entrepreneurs to start, scale, and succeed in their businesses.
Public policy
We scale what works—turning successful local programs into policies that can reach more people in Michigan and across the nation.
Local food economies
We strengthen local food systems by supporting every link in the chain: growers, processors, distributors, retailers, and families.
Starting in Michigan, we envision a future where food creates health, wealth, and resilience in every community.
A place where everyone can afford to eat well.
Where locally grown food fills grocery store shelves.
Where the people who grow, make, and sell our food can prosper.
TAKE ACTION
See what's possible when we start with food.
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