chicago food justice rhizome network
-
The causes of food inequity are massive, complicated, and systemic. To address these issues, the Chicago Food Policy Action Council facilitates the Chicago Food Justice Rhizome Network, a group of passionate food justice advocates who participate in working groups to build a more equitable food system in Chicago. This group is not specific to those who live in or work with Chicago and is open to everyone. We welcome all who are involved or impacted by Chicago's food shed, which includes all of Cook County, Illinois, and neighboring Great Lakes states.
ONCE YOU SUBMIT THE GOOGLE FORM, PLEASE CLICK ON THE PROMPTED LINK TO REQUEST TO JOIN THE RHIZOME LISTSERV.
Working Groups & Call Schedules
-
The Resilient Food System call serves as a space to organize. As political and economic pressures compound across our communities, we’re shifting what resiliency looks like. We are no longer just bouncing back, but building forward with intention. These calls are for collective decision-making, rapid response, and coordination across our food system. From mutual aid and emergency food distribution to policy shifts and long-term structural change, this is where we come together to assess the moment and act.
The Resilient Food System Working Group is a subgroup of the Chicago Food Justice Rhizome Network. Calls take place on Zoom every other week on Tuesdays from 3:00-4:00pm CT.
-
These calls were started to foster cross-collaboration between working groups. Any member of the Chicago Food Justice Rhizome Network is welcome to join these calls, even if you don’t attend any other working group calls. Rhizome calls are intended for everyone to join.
The Chicago Food Justice Monthly Rhizome Call meets on Zoom on the first Thursday of every month from 3-4pm CT.
-
This call provides an analysis of the legislative and regulatory developments shaping food, nutrition, and agricultural policy across all levels of government. Beyond legislative tracking, we examine agency or department priorities and processes at the local (city/county), state, and federal levels.
This call is for anyone interested in what is happening at various levels of government including opportunities for calls to action and other alerts associated with specific pieces of legislation, rule-making, or public comment periods. Additionally, there will be space for partners to share updates, resources, and opportunities.
The CFPAC Policy Call is a subgroup of the Chicago Food Justice Rhizome Network. Calls take place on Zoom every other Wednesday from 2:00-3:00pm CT.
background on the rhizome network
-
A rhizome (also known as rootstocks) is a type of plant stem situated either at the soil surface or underground that contains nodes from which roots and shoots originate. Rhizomes are unique in that they grow perpendicular, permitting new shoots to grow up out of the ground. When separated, each piece of a rhizome is capable of producing a new plant. Some plant species which form multiple layers in a complex network.Learn more about rhizomes from this Biology Dictionary source.
While each of our individual working groups are crucial to supporting the development of a more equitable food system, if they are siloed, their impact will be stifled. We decided to call our network the Chicago Food Justice Rhizome Network because we want our network to operate similar to rhizomatic root structures. Growing horizontally, intricately interwoven, all working toward a single goal of food justice and sovereignty for the Chicagoland region.
-
One Diva, One Mic
No one knows everything, together we know a lot
Move up, move aside
We can’t be articulate all the time
Centering a culture of care
Be in active inquiry about how your personal identities and positions within hierarchies of privilege impact and influence collective space
Please do what you need to do to prioritize your self-care.
Be present
Anticipate discomfort / hold a courageous space
-
This network was initially convened to address emergent COVID-19 needs. From the very beginning, network members expressed they wished a network like this had existed before the pandemic, so we’ve decided to continue facilitating even after the pandemic. Click here to learn more about this transition.
-
This group works to actively anti racist and we expect all of our members to be in constant inquiry of how their positions of privilege impact their views. Before joining this group, we encourage all of our members to review the following resources:
