JAFSCD Statement on Anti-Black Racism

Cover of vol. 8, issue 4

The ongoing systemic and systematic oppressions and anti-Black violence in the United States, Canada, and across the globe have once again been brought into the collective spotlight. These acts perpetuate historical systems of oppression and violence that are entrenched in the very institutions that are purportedly designed to serve and protect people.

The Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development (JAFSCD) rejects anti-Blackness, racism, and violence in all their forms and stands in solidarity with racialized communities, especially Black communities who have borne this weight for too long. We present this statement in support of the Black Lives Matter movement in recognition of the recent violent deaths of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Regis Korchinski-Paquet in Toronto, Canada, among the countless violent, racialized murders of Black people at the hands of police.

As a journal that focuses on the practice of healthy and equitable agriculture and food system development, JAFSCD is clear that more is needed, namely, actions that intentionally work toward equity within an anti-racist paradigm. As part of our commitment to social equity and food justice action, education, and research, we have drafted the JAFSCD Equity Agenda. In this agenda we outline three goals, each of which include current actions and future priorities that will propel us forward in our work toward more just and equitable food systems. These goals are:

  • To use the JAFSCD platform to amplify voices in the food system that are currently underrepresented in journal content.

  • To develop the capacity of university-based academics and others (e.g., research scientists and policymakers) to work as better allies and accomplices in social equity and food justice action, education, and research in and across the food system.

  • To transform relevant JAFSCD and other institutional practices and systems to be more equitable and just for equity-building.

While this is a start, we acknowledge that this is a work in progress and that it is not nearly enough. We add to the Equity Agenda our commitment to stand up against racialized violence and oppression by the intentional use of our platform to lift up Black voices. Our next step is actively building our equity committee to continue constructive action toward our goals.

Furthermore, we as individuals, especially the white members, commit to doing our own work to dismantle racism in ourselves and our communities.

Sincerely,

The JAFSCD Shareholder Consortium
Date approved: June 18, 2020