Cultivating Youth Food Justice Programs: A toolkit for youth-led food and agriculture programs

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) supports refugees and immigrants in the U.S. through various programs, including the “New Roots” initiative, which focuses on gardening, farming, and food entrepreneurship. Refugee and immigrant youth face numerous challenges, such as trauma, interrupted education, and food insecurity, which are exacerbated by resettlement in low-income areas. To address these issues, the IRC developed the Youth Food Justice Program, engaging high school students in addressing community food needs through service-learning and leadership in food justice. Additionally, the EAT Project, funded by the USDA, improved access to healthy local food in schools and involved youth in garden- and culinary-based learning, focusing on food justice and youth leadership.