Montana Food Economy Initiative - Summer 2020

July 23, 2020

We have an opportunity to reimagine a better, more inclusive ‘we;’ to reform and rebuild our food systems. The Montana Food Economy Initiative invites our advisory team and communities–you!– to build bridges across our food system, put farmers and food providers first, and engage consumers in building more resilient food systems right where they are.

We begin by recognizing that my success is dependent on your success. Think about: How do you benefit from the collective Montana? And how does the collective Montana benefit you? That is the sense of mutual benefit in community that is essential to this work. Acknowledging that we’re all in this together, we can build food systems that are truly better for all people and the land.

Sustainability is rooted in our shared humanity. Aeronauts and our supporters care about mitigating climate change, strengthening local food economies, and expanding renewable resources because we want to improve the quality of life for folks now and make a livable future. Inhabiting a space of connection– acknowledging that our success is linked to the success of one another, and in the deepest sense, continuation of human and other life on earth– is where we begin our journey.

MFEI brings folks across the food system together, to practice empathy, and work towards solutions collaboratively. AERO founders knew in 1974 that together we have the power to break into new solutions that the corporate food and energy regimes do not present to us.

As Dr. Salvador reminded us at AERO Expo 2019, our food system is built on a foundation of stolen land, slavery and exclusion of BIPOC, women, and LGBTQ communities from accessing the means to build wealth: land, labor, capital. Racism is inherent in our food system. And by acknowledging our history, and the myths that persist, we begin to see a new path forward.

With a sense of co-ownership, all participants in the MFEI are invited to live out shared values to begin a new path forward. Focus on these values, and our outcomes will emerge.