Exploring the Right to Food Advocacy Landscape in the United States

The National Right to Food (RtF) Community of Practice (CoP) is a membership-based national coalition of advocates and organizations working to advance the RtF in our cities, towns, and states. This research project sought to understand (1) how a membership based organization like the CoP grows into a social movement defined by the visions and needs of its participants, and (2) what the added value is of weaving together existing local and state efforts into a national movement. Through surveys (n= 54) and interviews (n=20) of CoP members, this research sought to understand individual perceptions of RtF principles, and food and nutrition challenges local organizations are working to overcome in different parts of the United States. Large agreement was found across CoP membership about what the most salient RtF issues are in the United States currently. Spatial patterns in CoP membership were also analyzed, with the Northeast and West having large concentrations of organizations, while the Southeast and Great Plains have far fewer members. In an effort to complement the CoP’s organizing efforts, outcomes of this research included two key elements. (1) the design of a map dashboard of CoP members to be used as a tool for members and other RtF stakeholders seeking to connect to this movement. (2) a report submitted to the United Nations Universal Periodic Review about Right to Food violations in the United States and recommendations for realizing everyone’s right to political agency in shaping available, accessible, adequate and sustainable food in their communities.