Food Justice

Within our FoodFitPhilly program, Food Justice is our effort to support the self-determination of Philadelphians to grow, sell and eat healthy food. We do this by:

  • Establishing just food policy and supporting community-led nutrition projects.
  • Setting nutrition standards and promoting best practices for City agencies, hospital systems, and early childhood education.

Food Justice in Philadelphia

Produce Trucks - Philly Loves Fresh

Find a produce truck and learn more about these long-standing West and Southwest Philadelphia businesses.
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Farmers' Markets

Find your nearest farmers' market or read about what you need to operate one.
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Philadelphia Food Justice Initiative

Learn more about community-led projects that grow food justice.
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Good Food Healthy Hospitals

Read about our Good Food, Healthy Hospitals program that brings together healthcare institutions to create a culture of wellness through food.
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Sodium Warning Label

Read about the label that gives Philadelphians the information they need to make lower sodium choices at chain restaurants.
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Philadelphia Nutrition Standards for City Agencies

Review standards designed to align meals and snacks with the latest dietary guidance.
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Nutrition Standards Training Modules

View training modules for staff - food purchasers, service managers, menus developers, preparation & service staff and food vendors.
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Urban Agriculture

Programs and planning to promote gardening, farming and composting.
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Food Policy Advisory Council

The Philadelphia Food Policy Advisory Council (FPAC) brings residents together to create a more just food system.
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Healthy Neighborhood Retail

This report maps out neighborhood availability of “high-produce" and "low produce supply stores."
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Good Food Systems

Learn about efforts to create a healthy, sustainable, and fair local food system, or a "good food economy."
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Resources

Eat Healthy on a Budget

Learn more about planning and shopping within your budget with Spend Smart, Eat Smart.

School Nutrition Programming

Find nutrition resources available in Philadelphia public schools.

Find Free Meals

Free food and meals are offered throughout the city, and in your neighborhood. Find them here.

Read about MyPlate

Use this tool to find healthy eating tips and discover budget-friendly food ideas.

Nutrition Assistance Programs

Need help finding or affording food? Get information on food and nutrition assistance programs such as SNAP, WIC, and senior boxes.

Apply for Benefits: Benephilly

Do you need assistance paying for groceries, medication or utilities? A trained specialist will help you apply and follow-up on your application status.

Supporting and Building Food Justice in Philadelphia!

Send us your proposals and ideas for food justice projects. See details and links below!  Applications are due April 24, 2020.

Food justice means communities can exercise their right to grow, sell, and eat healthy food (from JustFood). We have up to $150,000 available to fund projects that take place between July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2021. There will be the the potential for renewed funding after that period.

This open call for ideas is for everyone. Apply if you are an organization, business or collective that wants to build food justice in Philadelphia and embodies a health justice approach. If you have been working in food access for a long time and need some support to scale up and take the next step, we want to hear from you. If you are a community organizer or capacity builder and see a clear way to include healthy food for the future, we want to hear from you. If you are a budding entrepreneur with a fresh idea, we want to hear from you. If you make, grow, sell, or eat food, we want to hear from you.

Preference will be given to proposals from community-based and/or people of color-led organizations that aim to serve the community’s needs and with authentic community ownership. Fair compensation of staff and partners is also key.

Projects should focus on increasing access to healthy foods (see definition) in neighborhoods or communities with a history of health injustice. The project must include at least one of the following:

1) deep-roots in a neighborhood or (defined) community,

2) broad citywide reach, OR

3) potential for systems change or scaling up over time.

Application submissions will be accepted electronically through Reinvestment Fund’s online grants management platform, SmartSimple. To submit an application, register your organization after clicking on the link below. Once you complete your Organization Profile, click on Funding Opportunities, which will take you to the Philadelphia Food Justice Initiative application.

See the application in your preferred language below and apply online using this link:

APPLY HERE

Please contact Amanda.wagner@phila.gov with questions or concerns.

Applications:

Healthy Food Definition:

For this proposal, projects should focus on increasing access to healthy foods that are in short supply in neighborhoods. Healthy foods are foods that build and sustain human health such as:

In general, healthy foods are fresh or frozen and don’t contain added sugars, fats, or high levels of salt.

Preference will also be given to food that is grown, prepared and distributed in ways that support worker, environmental, and animal health.

General selection criteria:

Required for all proposals

Based in Philadelphia

Budget request does not exceed $150,000

Proposal focuses on healthy food

Ability to contract directly or through a fiscal sponsor

 

 What are we looking for?:

Category

 Criteria
Leadership Organization and/or project led by People of Color (POC) and/or people with lived experience with health injustice. They have clear and real decision-making roles: in executive or leadership positions, on the board, and/or staff reflect the racial makeup of Philadelphia (55% POC)
Impact Who will benefit and how many people? Will benefit be to geographic location or to individuals/community that experienced historic health injustice?
Authentic Community Ownership Demonstrates community buy in and authentic engagement in selecting this project approach and focus
Fair Compensation Livable wages and even distribution of budgetary resources. If subcontracting, focus on using local businesses or individuals that are compensated fairly.
Systems Change Project clearly demonstrates a systematic change or the dismantlement of a system, having a direct impact on chronic disease (e.g. the local food system, local waste system, etc.)
Sustainability Proposal clearly demonstrates how project activities or impacts will be sustained post award, and/or project is led by groups that are in collective together long-term, with strong community ties, and will keep working on the project after the award and project cycle are completed
Feasibility Proposal scope matches budget and timeline and makes sense with project team and partners’ skills.
Innovative or Catalytic Proposal idea will be catalytic in impact or shifts the status quo in significant ways (see question about what this work will make happen that wouldn’t otherwise, or if group is expanding current work, or working with new partners)
Partnership Collaborative and/or collective approach and includes key sectors and actors to make proposal work.