Equity advocacy efforts require a great deal of preparation before a campaign for equity can be undertaken. (2014)

Opportunities to advance equity abound in the numerous activities associated with different advocacy efforts. (2014)

Changing the challenging conditions that affect low-income people and communities of color requires a “grassroots to treetops” approach that connects the experiences of people on the ground with the decisions about policies that shape communities. (2014)

Equity advocacy does not — and should not — cease when a favorable policy outcome is first reached. In fact, it is through the continued effort of equity advocates, champions, and their allies that policy changes to promote equity are implemented and embedded into practice.

Equity advocates know the power of policy. Policy determines the rules by which opportunities are framed and delivered — what is allowed, encouraged, discouraged, and prohibited. Advocacy — the art of influence and persuasion — is essential for fostering the creation, adoption, and implementation of promising policy solutions that catalyze social change. (2014)

Provides an overview of how stakeholders can advocate for and implement local food procurement policies in an equitable manner. (2015)

An overview of the Healthy Food Financing Initiative. A viable, effective, and economically sustainable solution to the problem of limited access to healthy foods, and can reduce health disparities, improve the health of families and children, create jobs, and stimulate local economic development in low-income communities.

This study assessed whether proximity to a supermarket modified the effects of an obesity intervention for participating children aged 6 to 12 years with a body mass index (BMI) at or above the 95th percentile. Authors found that living closer to a supermarket is associated with greater improvements in fruit and vegetable intake and weight status in an obesity intervention. 

The Latino community in Portland, Oregon, has grown rapidly in the last 20 years, from 3.3 percent of Portlanders to 11 percent, and by 2040 it is estimated that 23 percent of the city’s residents will be Latino. This growth, however, has not been accompanied by increases in opportunity.

Recognizing the important link between access to healthy food, economic opportunity, community building, and culture, Hacienda Community Development Center (CDC) secured a federal Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI) grant in 2012 to develop Portland Mercado, an innovative project which includes a Latino cultural space and public market, bringing fresh food and good jobs to the community.

Part of a series of issue briefs dedicated to helping community leaders and policymakers bolster their campaigns and strategies with the economic case for equity.