by Patricia F. Walker, PhD Student, Environmental Studies

On February 23, 2026, the EUC community came together to celebrate Black History Month and to learn about the work of Nicole Jacobs, Aaron Joseph, and Charlyn Ellis, MES students and leaders in the food justice and Black food sovereignty movement in Toronto. The panel, which was organized by the EUC Equity Committee, took place during a Food, Land and Culture lecture and was moderated by food sovereignty and justice scholar, Dr. Martha Stiegman.

The panelists discussed the impacts of racism, racial capitalism, and settler-colonialism on Black farmers, food growers, and leaders, highlighting the unique experiences of Black women, who are intersectionally oppressed. Nicole Jacobs, whose work seeks to address structural barriers in community food spaces, emphasized the considerable absence of Black female leadership in these spaces. “Not a lot of people who manage markets […] look like me. It subjects me to scrutiny and psychological violence”, she said.

Nicole’s food work journey began in 2005 when she became a volunteer at the Dufferin Grove Farmers’ Market. She stumbled upon the market accidentally and was instantly captivated by the concept of “shopping without walls”, as she put it. Although she did not know very much about farming, farmers’ markets (or even what most produce was called), Nicole went on to become the Market Manager at Dufferin Grove Farmers’ Market – a position she’s held for the last five years.

Charlyn Ellis, the Acting Chair for the Black Creek Community Farm, echoed Nicole’s comments, highlighting the lack of inclusion of Black and racialized women in food spaces. Charlyn has been an active member of the urban farming community for over fifteen years and a passionate abolitionist activist for over 25 years. Additionally, she has been a dedicated supporter of the Emmett Communal Garden since 2009, serving as the garden coordinator and offering hands-on assistance in the garden. Charlyn who is determined to “mak[e] […] place for others like me”, believes community gardens offer Black, racialized, and immigrant women “a space for them to gather and grow food [and] address issues of lack of support”, including mental health support. It’s a place for “regenerating the soul and the soil”, Charlyn said.

Aaron Joseph, a master’s student studying urban planning, believes food spaces are “convivial magical spaces” which offer opportunities for “healing fractures” created by systems of oppression and domination. “The systems are working us against each other”, he said, calling for multi-racial coalitions to advance food justice and sovereignty in Toronto. Aaron’s involvement with food began in grade nine, when he moved to his parents’ country of Eritrea – during the border war between Eritrea and Ethiopia – where he spent time on his family’s farm in Africa’s northernmost rainforest (Filfil rainforest) planting subsistence crops. That same year, he also assisted with tree planting initiatives around the farm area, contributing in a small but meaningful way to local reforestation efforts in a landscape that had been devastated during the Derg government of Ethiopia’s Red Terror campaign.

All three speakers discussed some of the barriers facing Black growers and leaders including lack of access to land and funding. “Land and leadership intersect. Land is white owned. Leadership is white led”, said Nicole. Additionally, stipulations imposed by farmers’ markets disadvantage Black vendors who are not farmers, thereby affecting “the cultural distribution of the space” and contributing to structural inequality, as noted by Nicole.

According to Aaron, community food spaces offer more than access to food, they offer social access. “It’s not just about the food; it’s about the things that happen there and in between. It’s about creating a village”, he said. Aaron further argued that growing food is an agentic experience for Black people. It is about “gaining our own agency [while] growing our own food”. Similarly, Charlyn noted that a “garden [is] a healing space”, “where you can be, rejuvenate, heal, and take off your shoes.” For Black, immigrant, and racialized women, such spaces offer opportunities for intergenerational learning. Charlyn, Nicole, and Aaron highlighted the importance of multi-generational spaces to inspire and empower younger generations to grow their own food. Nicole described “doing the work for the next generation”, so they can say, “I belong here too. I can do this work too.” As a single mother, Nicole is motivated “to pass on healthy food values” to her daughter, something that she feels “all children and families should be able to enjoy.”

The panelists agreed that growing food justice entails pushing back against capitalist logics which position Black bodies as conduits to profit. “We’re not just bodies to make money off of”, argued Charlyn, who continues to face “horrific racism” as a Black woman in community food spaces. All three panelists highlighted the need to amplify Black voices in food spaces and to address systemic issues affecting access to food. Nicole noted that many Black “families [are] priced out of healthy foods” and lack “access to nutrition and nutrition education”. The panelists concluded by advocating for equitable access to healthy and culturally inclusive and appropriate foods, as well as spaces that foster a sense of belonging and agency for Black people.