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10 Mar, 2025

The Role of Urban Farms in Healing Communities

By Siobhan Norbeck|2025-03-10T13:37:25+00:00March 10, 2025|Food Equity, Sustainability|0 Comments

In cities across the country, neighborhoods are transforming vacant lots into thriving urban farms. These spaces do more than just grow food—they bring communities together, provide economic opportunities, and create green spaces that improve public health. Urban farming is a powerful tool for tackling food insecurity and revitalizing communities, and Carolina Farm Trust’s Urban Farm Network is leading the charge in North Carolina.

Why Urban Farms Matter

Food Access in Underserved Communities

Food deserts—neighborhoods with little to no access to fresh, affordable food—affect millions of Americans. The USDA estimates that over 40 million people in the U.S. live in food deserts, where convenience stores and fast food chains dominate, offering highly processed, unhealthy options. Urban farms break this cycle by growing fresh, nutritious produce right in the heart of these communities.

Economic Empowerment and Job Creation

Urban farms

4 Mar, 2025

The True Cost of Cheap Food: Who Pays the Price?

By Siobhan Norbeck|2025-03-04T14:58:08+00:00March 4, 2025|Food Equity, Sustainability|0 Comments

Walk into any grocery store, and you’ll find shelves stocked with inexpensive processed foods, bulk meats, and cheap produce. On the surface, this seems like a win—low prices mean more people can afford to eat, right? But the reality is much more complex. The true cost of cheap food goes far beyond what we see on our grocery receipts. The hidden costs—healthcare expenses, environmental destruction, and economic inequities—are devastating, and we are all paying the price.

Industrialized food systems prioritize efficiency and profit over sustainability, public health, and community resilience. At Carolina Farm Trust, we believe there’s a better way: investing in local food systems that nourish both people and the planet.

The Hidden Costs of Cheap Food

1. The Health Crisis: Processed and Industrialized Diets are Making Us Sick

Ultra-processed, mass-produced foods have led to a global health crisis. Diet-related diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and

25 Feb, 2025

The Intersection of Climate Change and Food Access: Why Local Food Systems Matter

By Siobhan Norbeck|2025-02-25T13:14:05+00:00February 25, 2025|Food Equity, Sustainability|0 Comments

Food security is no longer just about economic access—it’s about climate resilience. The way we grow, distribute, and consume food is deeply impacted by climate change. Rising temperatures, extreme weather, and soil degradation are making it harder for communities—especially those already marginalized—to access fresh, nutritious food.

But there’s a solution: strengthening regional food networks. By investing in local farms and sustainable food systems, we can create a more resilient, climate-adaptive future.

How Climate Change is Disrupting Food Access

Rising Temperatures & Crop Failure
Global temperatures are increasing, with 2023 marking one of the hottest years on record. Higher temperatures reduce crop yields, affecting staple foods like wheat, corn, and rice. Some studies predict that without intervention, corn yields could drop by 24% by 2030 due to extreme heat and drought conditions.

18 Feb, 2025

Rebuilding Food Sovereignty: How Local Farms Can Lead the Way

By Siobhan Norbeck|2025-02-18T18:44:08+00:00February 18, 2025|Food Equity, Mental Health, Sustainability|0 Comments

For too long, large-scale industrial agriculture has dominated the food landscape—prioritizing mass production, corporate profit, and monoculture farming at the expense of health, environment, and food security. But communities around the world are reclaiming their right to control their own food systems, a movement known as food sovereignty.

Food sovereignty is more than just access to food—it’s about who controls the land, the resources, and the decision-making process. It ensures that food is produced by and for the people in a way that is sustainable, culturally relevant, and economically fair. At Carolina Farm Trust (CFT), we are dedicated to rebuilding a farmer-driven, community-led food system that prioritizes people over profit.

What Is Food Sovereignty?

The term food sovereignty was first introduced by La Vía Campesina, an international movement of farmers, in 1996. Unlike food security, which focuses on

11 Feb, 2025

The Hidden Wounds of Hunger: Understanding Food Trauma Amidst Food Insecurity

By Siobhan Norbeck|2025-02-11T17:20:43+00:00February 11, 2025|Food Equity, Mental Health|0 Comments

When we think of food insecurity, the immediate image that comes to mind is physical hunger—the gnawing emptiness of an empty stomach. However, the repercussions of not having consistent access to adequate food extend far beyond physical discomfort. Food insecurity can inflict deep psychological wounds, leading to what experts term “food trauma.”

Defining Food Trauma

Food trauma refers to the psychological distress and adverse emotional responses resulting from experiences related to food scarcity, forced eating, or other negative food-related events. Individuals who have faced prolonged periods of hunger or uncertainty about their next meal often develop anxieties and fears surrounding food. This trauma can manifest as heightened stress, anxiety, depression, and even disordered eating patterns.

A report by the Adur & Worthing Food Network highlights that individuals experiencing food insecurity often endure feelings of shame, guilt,

7 Feb, 2025

Beyond Hunger: The Hidden Impacts of Food Insecurity

By Siobhan Norbeck|2025-02-07T14:27:29+00:00February 7, 2025|Advocacy, economic burden, Food Equity, Food Systems, Health Impacts, Hunger, Mental Health, Sustainability|0 Comments

Food insecurity is a global crisis that reaches far beyond the empty stomachs it creates. It’s about the trauma of uncertainty—parents not knowing if they can provide dinner for their children, seniors rationing their meals to make ends meet, and individuals facing long-term physical and emotional harm. In 2023, the USDA reported that 47 million people in the U.S., including 14 million children, lived in food-insecure households. Globally, the World Health Organization estimates that 864 million people face hunger.

The effects of food insecurity ripple through every aspect of life, influencing health, mental well-being, and financial stability. Let’s dig deeper into the profound impacts of this crisis and explore the steps needed to create a fairer, healthier food system.

Health Impacts: Chronic Conditions and Poor Nutrition

Food insecurity doesn’t just mean fewer meals; it often means eating the

27 Jan, 2025

Reimagining Food Systems: A Path to Health, Sustainability, and Equity

By Siobhan Norbeck|2025-01-27T16:53:02+00:00January 27, 2025|Food Equity, Food Systems, Sustainability|0 Comments

The global food system is one of humanity’s greatest achievements and challenges. It feeds billions but often at the cost of environmental health, economic stability, and social equity. A recent groundbreaking study has revealed that transitioning to a sustainable food system could unlock $10 trillion in benefits annually. At Carolina Farm Trust, we believe these findings underscore the urgency to act now to reshape our food systems and ensure they benefit people, the planet, and future generations.

The Hidden Costs of Our Current Food System

Our existing food systems generate immense hidden costs. According to the Food System Economics Commission, these costs—including environmental degradation, health impacts, and biodiversity loss—amount to $15 trillion annually. Agriculture alone accounts for more than 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions, pushing us toward a dangerous 2.7°C of warming

13 Jan, 2025

Let’s Talk About Food Systems: Building a Sustainable Future Together

By Siobhan Norbeck|2025-01-13T16:13:54+00:00January 13, 2025|Food Equity, Food Systems, Sustainability|0 Comments

The term “food system” encompasses the complex web of activities involving the production, processing, distribution, consumption, and disposal of food. Understanding this system is crucial, as it directly impacts our health, environment, and communities. At Carolina Farm Trust (CFT), we are dedicated to strengthening local food systems in the Carolinas, ensuring they are sustainable, equitable, and resilient.

Understanding Food Systems

A food system involves every step food takes from farm to table, including:

Production: Growing crops and raising livestock—the foundation of food systems. This stage includes everything from small family farms to large industrial operations.
Processing: Transforming raw ingredients into consumable products, such as turning wheat into bread or milk into cheese.
Distribution: Transporting food to markets, stores, or directly to consumers. This stage often involves complex logistics that impact food accessibility.

7 Jan, 2025

Developing a New Food System: Bridging the Gap Between Farms and Communities

By Siobhan Norbeck|2025-01-07T14:10:12+00:00January 7, 2025|Advocacy, Food Equity, News|0 Comments

The way we grow, distribute, and access food in America is deeply flawed. While some enjoy an abundance of fresh, healthy options, many communities—especially urban and rural areas—struggle with limited access to nutritious food. This disparity isn’t just about food; it’s a symptom of a larger system that prioritizes profit over people, sustainability, and health. At Carolina Farm Trust (CFT), we believe it’s time for a change.

The Problem: A Broken Food System

In the United States, food deserts—areas where residents have limited access to affordable and nutritious food—are prevalent. According to the USDA, over 19 million Americans live in food deserts, and many of these areas are in urban centers like Charlotte. Compounding this issue, small and mid-sized farms, which play a vital role in providing fresh produce, face increasing challenges due to market competition, lack of resources, and climate pressures.

23 Dec, 2024

America’s Food Crisis: Declining Production and Rising Reliance on Imports

By Siobhan Norbeck|2024-12-23T14:12:09+00:00December 23, 2024|News|0 Comments

For decades, the United States has been a global leader in agriculture. Yet, troubling trends are emerging that put the nation’s food security and independence at risk. As highlighted in a recent interview with Zack Wyatt, Founder, President, and CEO of Carolina Farm Trust, America is growing less of its own food and becoming increasingly reliant on imports. Here, we unpack the challenges, contributing factors, and what Carolina Farm Trust is doing to rebuild resilience in the food system.

Alarming Trends in U.S. Food Production

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports a significant decline in fruit and vegetable production over the past two decades. Fruit production has dropped by a staggering 36%, and vegetable production has decreased by over 6%. These declines are not just numbers on a chart; they represent a growing vulnerability in our

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