Issue Area: Social Justice

“RAFI is a social justice organization that works in agriculture, not an agriculture organization that works in justice.” 

RAFI’s commitment to social justice and democracy is core to the organization’s values and approach. Our core values include: Integrity, equal opportunity, economic justice, grassroots democracy, respect for diversity, ecological balance, sustainability and community partnership.

RAFI programs are guided by the mission, vision and core values grounded in social consciousness and action that create a just society, offer opportunity, and develop individuals. As an organization that inherited a legacy of courageous activism and organizing that crosses boundaries, our programmatic work is focused on equal opportunity for all, and addressing deep structural injustice.

Our vision for agriculture is a clear reflection of our firm commitment to social justice:

• Family farmers have the power to earn a fair and dependable income.
• Everyone who labors in agriculture is respected, protected, and valued by society.
• Air, water, and soil are preserved for future generations.
• The land yields healthy and abundant food and fiber that is accessible to all members of society.
• The full diversity of seeds and breeds, the building blocks of agriculture, are reinvigorated and publicly protected.

Theory of Change

Our approach to change is built on the assumption that environmental sustainability, economic viability, biodiversity, and social justice are inextricably linked, and that the best way to ensure a just, sustainable future for farming is to create markets, policies, and communities that reward farmers for doing the right thing.

Areas of Work in Justice:

• Contract Agriculture & Fair Contracts
• Landowner Rights
• Agricultural Justice Project
• Seed Democracy
• Civic Engagement: The Farmer Leadership Network

Recent Articles:

• When Diversity Isn’t Enough: Experiences of Board Members of Color at Agricultural and Environmental Nonprofits (9/28/2020) - We are proud to share this new report in which Dr. Fatimah Salleh, interviewer and lead author, lifts up the words of eleven people of color who serve on the boards of predominantly white agricultural and environmental nonprofits, highlighting the dynamics, rewards, and challenges that they have experienced in that role.
• Community Conversation: “How Did We Get Here, and What Can I Do? Democracy, Land, and Liberation” (8/29/2020) - Join us September 14 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. for a Community Conversation on the connections between land and the historic struggle for civil rights and liberation by Black farmers, and the struggle against voter suppression today.
• A Food System Built for Inequity (10/14/2019) - During the period of October 14-18, 2019, RAFI-USA’s Come to the Table team published a series of blog posts in recognition of Global Food Week of Action. This is part of that series.
• “Hunger: A Racial Equity Issue” with Minerva Delgado (4/15/2018) - RAFI-USA's Equity at the Table Speaker Series presents "Hunger: A Racial Equity Issue" with speaker Minerva Delgado on July 16, 2018 in Charlotte, NC.