35 4.11: Toyin’s Testimonies

Case Studies #9 & #10

Author: Toyin Kayo-Ajayi, Black farmer and Executive Director of the Kara-Kata Afrobeat Society, and founder of the Canadian Black Farmers Association, in British Columbia

Testimony #1: Costs Rise Between Farm to Table

One of the only ways to access some of our cultural foods is to import them from Africa or other countries. Often, once the food arrives in Canada, much of it is spoiled and has to be discarded. Both the importing and waste drive up the price, so small Black grocery shop owners must increase the price to cover their loss. This makes access to our foods and supporting Black grocers even more challenging.

These financial barriers lead to even more issues. Many people in the Black, British-Colombian community choose to eat more Western foods because they are more affordable. This has increased our intake of fast foods and highly processed foods. I believe it has resulted in a major decline in our health and well-being.

Testimony #2: Policy Makes the Plate

Through my experience as a Black farmer in Canada who works to grow culturally appropriate food for the Black community, I have experienced many systemic barriers to bringing this Kara-Kata to life.

Black-led non-profit organizations that serve the local Black community often start off with and have less access to funding compared to white farmers and growers. Grant programs and grant applications do not consider the different cultural needs of our community, and this creates more challenges for us to access the funding needed to fulfill our projects.

On one occasion, I met with a government grant program to educate them on this issue and how to make these programs and applications more accessible for our community. I expressed the needs of our community and the challenges I have faced in accessing the funding needed by a Black farmer. But they did not believe me. They asked:

“Why is your experience different from any other farmer?” They wanted more proof.

This was a very troubling conversation for me.

After speaking up, I did see a positive result the following year, when the same grant program came out. It seems that the Black community is just not considered in these programs, and it is up to us to educate others on our needs.

Additional Resources:

Support for Black Canadian farmers is slowly growing. Organizations and networks have pulled together their wisdom, knowledge, and expertise to support the health of Black Canadians and provide learning and leadership opportunities for Black farmers while also making strides to dismantle racism within the Canadian food system. Learn more about the work being done and how you can support by visiting these links:

• National Farmers Union BIPOC CAUCUS
• Canadian Black Farmers Association
• BIPOC Farmer Network