Sustain and Eating Better are two alliances that have been proudly working together on centring racial justice and anti-racism across the sustainable food and farming sector for several years. The programme has had many successes including the first ever gathering on racial justice in this sector, establishing Culture Roots Collective and running a JEDI (justice, equity, diversity and inclusion) leadership programme. All of this demonstrates considerable progress in a sector that has one of the least diverse workforces.
However, we currently face a new and rising challenge. In recent months there have been more racist and xenophobic attacks across the UK. Within the food and farming sector, there has been growing influence of far-right rhetoric in conversations about farming, land use, migration and rural change, shaped by anti-immigrant and nationalist narratives.
For many in the movement, issues such as racial justice and anti-racism can feel separate from day-to-day work. Yet, we know that they are deeply connected. A food system that is fair, resilient and sustainable depends on diverse communities being able to participate, belong and thrive.
This is why we hosted the webinar on neutrality and justice in food and farming, with speakers from alliance members the Real Farming Trust (James Beecher, Twinning Project Manager) and the Landworkers' Alliance (Sølvi Naja, HOOF member) as well as Letesia Gibson of New Ways who facilitated the JEDI leadership programme.
The challenge of neutrality
The webinar highlighted that neutrality is often not neutral at all.
Speakers discussed how organisations can sometimes respond to difficult social and political issues by remaining silent, hoping to avoid conflict or controversy. Yet silence can have consequences. Staff, volunteers, members and communities may experience that silence as abandonment, particularly when issues affect their safety, dignity or sense of belonging.
Such silence can quickly undermine years of work on inclusion and equity, creating a gap between an organisation's stated values and how those values are lived in practice.
The discussion also explored the concept of "anticipatory compliance" where organisations begin acting as though a more hostile political environment is already in place, scaling back public commitments or equality work before they are actually required to do so. This can unintentionally accelerate the very changes organisations are worried about.
Moving from fear to integrity
Letesia described how many organisations can find themselves operating in either a passive zone or a reactive zone. In the passive zone, organisations avoid difficult conversations, remain silent or disengage. In the reactive zone, they respond defensively, panic or focus only on immediate incidents. Neither approach creates lasting change.
The alternative is an "integrity zone", where organisations are guided by clear values and anti-racist commitments that are embedded throughout their work. Rather than treating anti-racism as a response to individual incidents, it becomes part of organisational culture, leadership and decision-making.
What can organisations do?
For alliance members looking to strengthen their own approach, several practical themes emerged from the discussion.
1. Centre your values genuinely
Organisations should prepare values-led responses in advance so that, when challenging situations arise, they can respond thoughtfully rather than from fear.
2. Create safer spaces for conversations
Discussions about racism, belonging and far-right narratives can be challenging. There should be clear ground rules, shared expectations and support structures so that individuals don't have to navigate conversations alone. This came with a recognition that no space can be truly safe.
3. Focus on relationships and community
Speakers shared examples of community organising that centre relationship-building, political education and mutual support. Whether through workshops, shared projects, visits, meals or cultural activities, bringing people together can help build resilience and challenge fear-based narratives.
4. Address the underlying conditions
Speakers stressed that the growth of far-right ideas cannot be understood without also recognising the real economic pressures facing many people. Insecurity, isolation and precarity create fertile ground for divisive narratives. Building fairer food systems therefore requires attention to both social justice and material conditions. Basic income and affordable housing for farmings were highlighted as tangible solutions.
5. Find hope in collective action
Speakers highlighted the importance of joy, celebration and connection in sustaining long-term change. Shared meals, community events, visits, cultural exchanges and honest conversations are essential parts of justice work.
Moving together
Building more just food systems is ultimately about relationships: creating communities and organisations where people feel valued, connected and able to shape the future together.
Sustain's diversity outreach programme exists to support the alliance and wider movement to centre anti-racist principles and solidarity. We recognise that we don't have all the solutions or capacity, however by acknowledging the strength and history or organising in our movement, we can make space to have difficult conversations, centre integrity and avoid complicity.
If you want support or resources around this work visit our Diversity Outreach pages or email Diversity Outreach Coordinator, Sareta Puri sareta@sustainweb.org.
