Food access and food security are momentous issues for communities nationwide. Cooperatives and cooperative development centers are keenly aware of this. Many are developing the ideas and means to ensure their members and communities get the affordable, high quality food we all need and deserve. This panel, coordinated by USDA Rural Development and NCBA CLUSA, will highlight the work of cooperators from across the country to discuss their work solving problems in their communities. These cooperators have: • Created successful strategies to compete against dollar stores; • Explored solutions for rural grocery stores unable to buy in typical quantities; • Nurtured new farmers and supply chains to address food insecurity; and • Engineered win-win solutions for both farmers and low-income communities in need of healthy, nutritious food during the pandemic. Attendees will leave this session with more knowledge about the role cooperatives can play in addressing food access and food security.
This session is sponsored by Nationwide.
