Bthe b-side

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