BCAGlobal – Building Community Leaders to Solve Food System Problems

BCAGlobal, as a non-profit organization works with the people, for the people to educate, cultivate, and mentor multicultural talent within the culinary, foodservice, and hospitality industries, as well as honor their achievements, milestones, and supporters. Despite the hurdles and setbacks caused by Covid-19, we have persisted, overcome, and made remarkable achievements in generating more equitable spaces in the foodservice and culinary industry.

This achievement is marked by the measurable impacts of our two new programs launched last year: The Mindful Eating for the Beloved Community (MEBC) Interfaith Program and the first International Mindful Eating for the Beloved Community Fellowship Program.

The Mindful Eating for the Beloved Community (MEBC) Interfaith Program utilized the strong connection between faith and community while training over twenty faith-based leaders in the Bronx. This program was developed by using the MEBC framework and the constructs of community food and health activism. With these tools in hand, we were able to show how leadership training can transform community in a sustainable way and empower its members.

The latter program, The International Mindful Eating for the Beloved Community Fellowship Program, marked an indelible point in BCAGlobal’s 25-year-plus history. This was the first program in history to train BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) chefs to become leaders in food system problem-solving. This work has only strengthened our belief that community and food system leadership is paramount to progressing the equity equation in the culinary/foodservice space.

It would be remiss to speak of these achievements while not highlighting the adversity that BCAGlobal, its supporters, and its fellows overcame to not only further our mission of food equity, but to better serve their own beloved communities. As we reflect on the past two years’ impact on health, especially the disproportionate effect this health crisis has had on BIPOC communities, the mission of BCAGlobal to uplift and generate more sustainable and equitable food systems is more important than ever. We continue to prevail and find understanding in these difficult times– understanding to treat our food and culture as medicine to heal our ailments and create a better, more sustainable food system for posterity.

References:

Askew, Alex, et al. “Mindful Eating for the Beloved Community” Arch Street Press, 2018.

Askew, Alex. “Mindful Eating: Reinvigorating American Culinary Diaspora in a Low-Income Community.” Tourism Culture & Communication, vol. 21, no. 1, 14 Apr. 2021, pp. 49–53, 10.3727/109830421×16135685359956. Accessed 22 Aug. 2021.