First Nations Development Institute: Food Sovereignty Assessment Grants

First Nations Development Institute (First Nations) recognizes that Native food systems are important assets to Native communities. The work of First Nations in the Native agriculture and food systems arena has been aimed at assisting Native communities in reclaiming control of local food systems in an effort to eliminate food insecurity, improve the health and nutrition of community members, and serve as a mechanism for entrepreneurship and economic development. Like most assets of Native people, Native food systems have been altered, colonized and, in some cases, destroyed. Reclaiming control over local food systems promotes healthy Native communities, economies, and people.

Grants will support projects in Native communities looking to conduct community food assessments in order to gain more knowledge and understanding about the historical, current, and future state of local food systems. The assessment results should be used in developing plans to increase local control of food systems, resulting in addressing community health issues, building the local economy, and preserving Native cultures.

Proposed projects should demonstrate: defined goals and objectives for a potential food assessment; a plan that uses multiple methods to collect information from and about the community; a plan for use of results and dissemination of assessment findings; and a development of action plan with one or more of the following results:

• Progression toward elimination of hunger and food insecurity
• Greater understanding of the community’s linkages to food-supply chains
• Greater understanding of food production, consumption, and purchasing habits within the community and/or within households
• Develop an economic profile on how much money leaves Native communities on food-related purchases
• Learn more about nutritional needs, diet-related health, and hunger in Native communities
• Assess other aspects of the local food system that will lead to great local food-system control including policy, land use, local producer use, etc.
• Document food-related cultural traditions and practices specific to the community
• Identify assets, resources, institutions, and community leaders that can be leveraged for the benefit of the community food system

Amount: Ten grants of up to $15,000 each are expected to be awarded.

Eligibility: Native American-controlled nonprofit organizations; Native-controlled community organizations with fiscal sponsorship; Native 7871 organizations; or federal- and state-recognized tribal governments and tribal government programs, such as tribal arts programs, heritage departments, economic development entities, etc.

Link: http://www.firstnations.org/grantmaking/2017FSA

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