Hawaii and California Projects
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Food Justice in the United States
Imagine:
Food that travels solely within our island chain from farm to table.
Food that does no harm to the environment. Food that is healthy, culturally diverse, affordable and accessible to low income communities. Food that harnesses local entrepreneurship.
Food that brings together a family and a community.
Can this be done? Feed The Hunger Foundation believes it not only can be done; it must be done. Industrialized food production has generated enormous yields over the last 60 years, yet it has created a system that pollutes the environment, depletes the biodiversity of crops, treats animals cruelly, increases health diseases such as obesity and diabetes, drains water resources, and makes healthy, affordable food inaccessible to low income communities. It has also created an industry where it becomes extremely difficult for smaller farmers, food producers, and distributors to succeed.
Our fiscal models have left many of the individuals most in need unable to access credit or financial services to help lift themselves out of poverty. How will they be given an opportunity to use their industriousness, their skills, and their character to start or maintain a business?
An alternative food system and healthy solutions to end hunger and poverty
Through our Food For Thought program, FTHF provides microcredit and food networks for distribution and technical support to low income borrowers in the food system whose goal is to better their communities and provide healthy local food for all. From earthworms to eateries, from compost to caterers, from gardens to grocery stores, FTHF will be there to help poor people grow their businesses and help build healthier lives.
How Does FTHF Work?
Provides Loans
- to low income individuals with businesses in the food system
- through local lending organizations
Identifies and Partners With Organizations That are Already Working with our Target Population
- to add value to the organization’s ability to help their community
- to ensure that our borrowers have other support services to increase their success
- to build a network that addresses the community’s fiscal and physical health
A Hmong couple in Atwater, Merced recently took out a loan to grow strawberries on 18 acres of leased land. Their relatives are teaching them how to grow strawberries, although they have been farmers their entire lives. They do not use pesticides on the strawberries.
A Hmong widowed woman with three children is using her loan for seed and a green house in Fresno County. She has a diversity of crops including rice, corn, eggplant, chilies, squash, beans, tomatoes, and flowers, which allows her the opportunity to enter into additional farmer’s markets. She has been a pioneer among the Hmong in diversifying their crops.
A Thai worker was brought into Hawaii as agricultural labor, had his passport taken, and was made to work on the land to pay off his “debt.” Involved in one of the largest legal cases in the United States concerning forced agricultural labor, this worker is now using a loan from Feed The Hunger Foundation to buy pipes, fish food, and catfish.
A woman is using her loan to purchase equipment and supplies for her aquaponic fish/vegetable system. Such a system uses 2% of the water typically used in agriculture, the vegetables grow at a faster rate due to their fertilization from the fish effluent, and the diversity of fish and vegetables allows for a more consistent flow of income. Such a system may be organic and environmentally sound.
A Hawaiian couple used their loan to open a small cafe selling local healthy foods fulfilling their dream of owning their own restaurant after years of working in the food industry.
Loans have been made to individuals who need to be commercial licensed drivers of vehicles used to distribute food.
Program Briefs