Sustainable Food Systems

Working with Partners for More Equitable Food Systems

With support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Self-Help aims to increase access to capital for food and farm entrepreneurs. We seek to fill in lending gaps for innovative borrowers most in need by partnering with a national web of lenders and organizations that provide capital and business development resources for underserved food entrepreneurs. Success means helping food entrepreneurs achieve economic security for their own families while also expanding the delivery of healthy food, with all its benefits, in their local communities.

 For more information, check out this Healthy Food System Capital Initiative Overview.

Alleviating Childhood Hunger in North Carolina and Beyond

Self-Help has committed to working with partnering organizations to end childhood hunger. This has included a variety of efforts, such as:

• Working with the NC Alliance for Health to understand how our members access fresh fruits and vegetables
• Providing much-needed fresh food storage space to a coalition fighting hunger in western NC
• Providing a free lunch site for kids during the summer
• Encouraging healthy eating habits among students in rural charter schools
• Coordinating a food pantry for members in Durham

On the national level. Every five years Congress passes a Farm Bill, which shapes key national policies on food, agriculture and rural development. In 2017, Self-Help joined with long-time experts National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition to advocate for policies that affect communities we serve, especially members in rural areas.  Read more about our history serving rural communities alongside USDA here.

Publications of Interest

• One pager on Creating a Farm Credit Equitable And Sustainable Ag Grant Program
• Text of Sen. Brown's Farm Credit Grant Program amendment considered as part of the 2014 Farm Bill.
• Relevant excerpt from Sen. Elizabeth Warren's 2020 presidential campaign on creating and FCS set aside
• “Challenges and Issues in Accessing and Utilization of Capital by Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers,” Alcorn State University’s Socially Disadvantaged Farmer and Rancher Policy Research Center, funded by Self-Help (December 2019).
• Designing a Farm Credit System Set-Aside Grant program, Spring 2021 Duke University public policy masters student project.
• Policies and practices to strengthen our food system, Organization for Competitive Markets newsletter, March/April 2020, highlighting thoughts from Self-Help's David Beck.
• The Climate Imperative & Community Finance, 2021 Self-Help report which includes Farm Credit
• Credit Worth and Soil Wealth, November 2023

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