Culinary Justice Series

Hosted by: Kate Edwards

Culinary Justice Series

For each part of the series, NYCHG is donating $300 to the Brownsville Community Culinary Center

Part 1: The Impact of Culinary Justice 2021 Nutrition, Covid and Food Access

The pandemic disrupted every aspect of our lives, even more so for those living with food insecurity. While the state and city governments responded by diverting food to emergency food programs many lessons were learned by those on the front lines. Our panel features those who were part of that movement: a community-based nutritionist, a restaurant owner who distributed food, and state agriculture and market official, who administered the NourishNY funding and coordination. With food access as their common concern, they will explore how Covid exposed the fragility of the food system, and how they’ve responded.

Rae Gomes, 
Yolanda Florez, MS Nutrition
Kimberly Vallejo, Director of NYS Department of Agriculture & Market Sabrina Brockman, Owner of Grandchamps

Part 2: Emergency Food vs. Food Sovereignty

In Part 2 of our three-part series, our panel will discuss the history of emergency food, and the ways that both restaurants and community-based programs are implicated in the industry. We have already seen how the on-the-ground decisions during the pandemic affected the way communities received assistance, this conversation will give more context for how the accepted model of food assistance can interrupt and harm the restaurant industry, community food programming, and overall equity for restaurant workers and beyond.

Panelists:

Andrew Fisher, Author of “Big Hunger”

Sheryll Durant, Food Justice Advocate & Garden manager at Kelly Street Farm

Rae Gomes, 

Kate Edwards, Kate Edwards & Company & NYCHG Member (co-moderator)

Part 3: Bringing Culinary Justice to your Operation & Community

Join us for Part III of our Culinary Justice Series where we’ll focus on the role of the restaurateur in minimizing the disparities of racial and culinary equity within the hospitality industry and individual communities. In this conversation, member Kate Edwards and guest & culinary justice activist Rae Gomes will share actionable steps operators can take to create economic viability for their employees and make thoughtful contributions to the neighborhoods in which they are situated. Becoming an agent for justice while operating a thriving and intentional restaurant brand.

Kate Edwards, Kate Edwards & Company & NYCHG Member (co-moderator)

Rae Gomes 

Additional Culinary Justice Resource:  

Op-ed: The Increase in SNAP is Welcome. Now Let’s Reform the Entire Benefits System