Equity Goals
- Keep inclusion, equity, and belonging in our minds as we make decisions and continuously learn about our communities to inform our work.
- Build meaningful and sustainable relationships with the people who make up the Texas food system, including collaborations and relationships with people across all parts of the state.
- Demonstrate transparency & accountability with each other internally and with the people of our Texas Local Food system.
- Support, understand, and amplify the work and aspirations of Black, Indigenous and People of Color and other historically disenfranchised people, recognizing individual and unique experiences with food and food movements.
- Model equity in our work as we create a path for community-driven food system work by fostering a spirit of collaboration with those who share our values and center equity.
- Remain steadfast and resilient in achieving these goals to ensure an equitable and just food system.
TCLF Organization-wide Action Steps
- Our commitment to equity in the food system is the foundation of all of our work – from project design and recruitment to implementation and data collection.
- TCLF projects will demonstrably uplift and prioritize the needs, stories, and interests of historically and currently underserved farmers and food system stakeholders.
- All of TCLF’s work builds relationships with other values-aligned organizations and evolves in partnership with the communities we serve.
- TCLF creates materials for outreach and communications that are accessible to our communities, including Spanish translations.
Guiding Questions for Decision Making at TCLF:
(Organized by equity action step)
- Our commitment to equity in the food system is the foundation of all of our work – from project design and recruitment to implementation and data collection.
- How does this choice reflect our mission?
- How does this project align with our commitment to equity in the food system?
- Where are my weak spots/trepidations with this project/activity? Who/what can support me?
- How often should we review and assess our progress to ensure accountability?
- How will we adapt our strategies based on lessons learned from previous events/projects?
- How will I know this task/project is completed with integrity?
- What did I learn by completing this project?
- TCLF projects will demonstrably uplift and prioritize the needs, stories, and interests of historically and currently underserved farmers and food system stakeholders.
- How am I upholding our commitment to equity with this action/choice?
- Who benefits from this [action/deliverable/plan]? How do we know?
- How did this project impact my intended audience, and who did I unintentionally leave out?
- Are the people directly impacted by this action leading the work?
- All of TCLF’s work builds relationships with other values-aligned organizations and evolves in partnership with the communities we serve.
- Who is our primary customer?
- To whom are we accountable?
- Is this action centering our relationship with our client, partner, collaborator, audience?
- How do we actively build and maintain relationships with other values-aligned organizations?
- What does this person/organization/potential partner value? How do we know?
- In what ways are we evolving our work in genuine partnership with the communities we serve?
- TCLF creates materials for outreach and communications that are accessible to our communities, including Spanish translations.
- How can we enhance the accessibility of our outreach materials for all communities?
- How will different groups interact with these outreach materials?
(Consider: language, jargon, what assumptions about prior knowledge are present, readability/accessibility, plain language) - How will a member of the general public interact with this material? How will they know what is most significant and what is the CTA? How do we know?
