As Black History Month kicked off, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) introduced its inaugural committee on Urban Agriculture. The committee will be working with the USDA to help identify barriers to urban agriculture, to promote urban farming and the economic opportunities in cities across the country, and to help put in place support structures for urban agriculture.  

As studies have shown that African-Americans have a broader view of what constitutes an environmental problem, including lack of access to fresh food or food deserts, urban agriculture ties right into calls for environmental justice and making our urban areas sustainable. Although the committee is fairly new, urban agriculture is not and is an area that will only grow larger over time. I think we can all agree that access to green spaces and fresh food options in the city and elsewhere is a goal we can all get behind.  

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