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Project partners:
Oct 2020 – Present
A view of friends gathered to harvest radishes at Black Futures Farm in Portland, OR. Photo credit: Robert Cuadra
The Equitable Food Economy Collaborative (EFEC) is a regional partnership of nonprofits, farmers, universities, and public agencies working to build a more just and inclusive food system. Convened by Prosper Portland and Ecotrust, EFEC brings together organizations committed to expanding access to land, markets, and economic opportunity for historically underserved farmers, land stewards, and food entrepreneurs.
This community-driven initiative is grounded in the framework of targeted universalism, setting shared goals while tailoring strategies to meet the distinct barriers different communities face. EFEC focuses on dismantling systemic inequities — such as barriers to land ownership, access to capital and markets, and fair labor conditions — while strengthening leadership, healing, and economic resilience within BIPOC and other marginalized communities.
Formally established in 2020, EFEC grew from years of collaboration across the region’s urban and rural food systems. Today, it reflects a collective vision: building a thriving, equitable regional food economy where all communities can succeed, steward the land, and shape a more resilient future.
Prosper Portland and Ecotrust present: Community Spotlight—Sustainable Community Farming Practices in Sauvie Island. Video credit: Robert Cuadra
Partners
Peter Platt, Andina Restaurant, Prosper Portland Commissioner (Advisory Role)
Northwest Native Chamber
Northwest Native Chamber
Mudbone Grown
Columbia River Inter-tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC)
Prosper Portland
Prosper Portland
Wapato Island Farm
Good Rain Farm
Ecotrust
Ecotrust
Ecotrust
Ecotrust
Ecotrust Project Team & Services
Want to learn more? Check out the full Ecotrust Staff & Board and all of our Tools for Building Collective Change.
Michelle Week and Denise Chin look at starts growing in the hoop house at Good Rain Farm. Photo credit: Kari Rowe
A wild-caught salmon catch from the Columbia River. Photo credit: Kari Rowe
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We are proud to play a part in creating a collaborative to explicitly include – and prioritize – those who have been historically and systemically excluded from participating and prospering in the food economy. To grow a more inclusive food system requires empowering a range of organizations represented by our collaborative, and this work will result in positive social, economic, and environmental outcomes for our region, with a very specific focus on racial justice within the food system.
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This project will help break ground on new ventures, encourage collaboration, and provide innovative solutions to connect Black, Indigenous, and people of color producers directly to local consumers. It’s exactly the sort of opportunity that the Local Agricultural Marketing Program seeks to create. I am confident that these leaders will set a strong example as to why we must continue to reform our food system to foster positive change and healthy food.
—Former Rep. Representative Earl Blumenauer, U.S. Congress
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We are honored to be involved in this visionary collaboration. The people and organizations leading this project bring deep experience, broad expertise, and deep commitment. We need all three to embed equity and resilience in all aspects of our region’s complex food system.
—Lauren Gwin, Director, Center for Resilient Agriculture & Food Systems
Resources
Community Spotlight Video
Prosper Portland and Ecotrust present: Community Spotlight —Black Agriculture and Entrepreneurship Models in the Portland Metro Region
Community Spotlight Video
Prosper Portland and Ecotrust present: Community spotlight—Tribal Fisheries of the Columbia River and Indigenous Economies of the Pacific Northwest
