Black food sovereignty, cultural crops, and urban non-native species

Food sovereignty calls for the rights of all peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate foods, sustainable production, and control of their agricultural systems. Global migration continues to increase the ethnocultural diversity of cities and dependencies on resilient food systems. Urban agriculture presents an opportunity for people to reconnect with cultural and ecological roots while addressing food insecurity in their own communities. However, this results in a conflict between community needs for culturally appropriate crops and the management of non-native plants. I present the perspectives of several Afro-Canadian urban farmers and the importance of traditional crops to their businesses and communities.