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The Michigan Daily | michigandaily.com | Thursday, September 17, 2015
One of the most well-documented and contro-
versial aspects of the United States is its complicated
relationship with food. Through years of unsustain-
able agricultural practices, the U.S. faces shortages of
fresh food, particularly in impoverished communities.
Combined with the prevalence of obesity, diet-related
illness and reliance on government food assistance,
the dearth of healthy, fresh food in these areas paints a
bleak picture.
Emilie Engelhard, the communications direc-
tor for the sustainable food startup Fair Food Network,
sees the food dilemma more positively, as does the en-
tire organization.
“Where others see problems, we see opportuni-
ties,” Engelhard said. “The work at hand is really about
pioneering inspiring but practical solutions that don’t
solve problems, but that look at the food system as a
whole and … work on multiple parts of it simultane-
ously.”
Founded on the belief that everyone deserves
access to healthy, fresh, sustainably grown food, Fair
Food Network attempts to help underserved communi-
ties gain access to healthy food, help farmers earn more
money and strengthen local economies.
“Part of what the work of this organization is
building a more just and equitable
food system that
supports families in getting the most delicious and nu-
tritious food possible while also insuring that farmers
are earning a fair amount for their food,” Engelhard
said.
To Engelhard, the work is incredibly fulfilling,
both due to the broad scope of food’s influence in our
lives and the competence of the organization.
“Food is something that connects all of us and
it’s something that, when you’re working on the issue,
you have the ability to talk about so many things, such
as the foundation for a healthy society, stories about
family and the ability to create a more fair system that
supports everyone, both in terms of the health of our
families, the health of our communities, local and re-
gional economies, and our environment,” Engelhard
said. “Food really fits some of the biggest challenges we
face as a nation, and some of the biggest opportunities.
It’s an honor to be a part of an organization that works
in such a dynamic way to create a more just and equi-
table food system, and it’s also helping produce really
powerful results for families and farmers.”
To achieve this goal, Fair Food Network tailors
its efforts so that they can support the economy, farm-
ers and consumers at the same time.
“We really think of this as the ‘win-win-win’
solution in terms of supporting farmers, economic de-
velopment and also, most of all, the local population,”
Engelhard said. “That’s where we really see the need
right now: being able to practice multi-win solutions
that help move the field forward faster, and that don’t
just tackle one problem at a time.”
The company has achieved great success in
this goal through several specific programs. Their Fair
Food Funds program provides financial and business
assistance to innovative sustainable food companies.
Additionally, the company is part of the Michigan Good
Food Fund, a loan and grant fund created to stimulate
economic demand for locally grown food.
The most well known of these programs is
called Double Up Food Bucks, a healthy food incentive
program which attempts to create economic incentives
for producing and consuming locally grown food. Es-
tablished in 2009 in a farmers market in Detroit, Dou-
ble Up Food Bucks gives low income U.S. citizens an
opportunity to purchase fresh produce at a discounted
price.
Fighting for healthy, sustainable eating
Fair
Food
Network
MICHAEL FLYNN, Daily Arts Writer
See FAIR FOOD, Page 2B
Design by Francesca Kielb
Photo by Virginia Lozano