Victoria Lowerson Bredow

GFI Fellow - Class of 2015

Graduate Student, Planning, Policy and Design
UC Irvine

Project

Inclusive Food Systems: Immigrants, Indigeneity and Innovation

Description

This project aims to help build a more sustainable and equitable food system that is inclusive of indigenous and immigrant communities and their knowledge. It consists of an assessment of existing research and practices, oral histories with immigrants and/or indigenous elders in Orange County, as well as engagement in the UC Irvine community working with undergraduate students to collect food oral histories. Through these activities, we seek to document, archive and learn from our narrators, foster relationships with like-minded sustainable food advocates , and co-create an understanding of common concerns and issues to shape future learning activities and an expanded project collecting oral histories.

View poster (PDF)

Goals

Identify opportunities for inclusion within the local food sustainability movement. Demonstrate the spaces in which immigrant and indigenous populations have been excluded and connect and lift up learnings from oral histories as complementary solutions to the complex challenges facing the local and global food system.

Future Plans

We plan to expand the oral history project and foster learning exchanges with those working on building an inclusive and equitable food system in Orange County and borderlands. I am graduating in June 2015 so would like to work with my team to secure funding to continue the project.

Mentors

Victor Becerra, Paola Torres and Vicki Ruiz