DC Food Justice and Sovereignty Panel at the 11th Annual Environmental Justice and Health Disparities Symposium

🌱 Friday, September 12, 2025 | 11:30 AM – 12:35 PM | Sheraton Inner Harbor Hotel, Baltimore | CAMDEN I

Washington, DC is at the epicenter of the fight for food justice. Despite being the nation’s capital, many Black, Brown, and low-income neighborhoods remain in a food apartheid ——a system of intentional, racially driven inequities in the food system where communities are denied consistent access to fresh, affordable, and culturally relevant food. Meanwhile, federal nutrition programs like SNAP-Ed are facing steep cuts and elimination, and over $1 billion in DC taxpayer dollars are currently being held hostage by a Congress that denies the city full representation. The crisis is clear: the right to food is deeply entangled with the fight for democracy, sovereignty, and justice.

That is why the DC Food Justice and Sovereignty Panel at the 11th Annual Environmental Justice and Health Disparities Symposium will convene community leaders, urban farmers, and food advocates working to reclaim power over the food system and chart a path forward.

Featured Panelists & Voices

Tambra Raye Stevenson, MPH, MA, PhD(c), CEO, Women Advancing Nutrition, Dietetics, and Agriculture (WANDA)

As the author of a recent Civil Eats op-ed calling for a Food Bill of Rights, Tambra connects food sovereignty to the broader fight for democracy in DC:

“Food democracy is about more than access—it’s about power. Just as DC residents fight for statehood, we must also claim the right to govern our own food systems. Without sovereignty over what we eat and how it’s grown, we remain dependent on systems that don’t serve us. Our fight for food is inseparable from our fight for justice.”

Ronnie Webb, Executive Director, The Green Scheme; Aspen Food & Society Fellow

Ronnie has spent more than a decade mobilizing communities in Wards 7 and 8 to lead solutions in urban agriculture and sustainability. He is also the creator of Corner Water, a mission-driven beverage company linking culture, entrepreneurship, and wellness.

“The DC food divide is real. Wards 7 and 8 have been systematically excluded from healthy food access. But youth are at the center of food sovereignty—and when we bring culture, ownership, and education together, we shift from being consumers to being creators of our food future.”

Joya Wade, Executive Director, Common Good City Farm

At the helm of a community-based urban farm in Northwest DC, Joya leads initiatives like pay-what-you-can farm stands and food waste reduction programs that model equity and sustainability.

“My goal is to raise awareness about how we interact with our food system, so we can embrace practices that amplify the positive impact individuals and communities can make—ensuring access to fresh food grown and prepared in the most regenerative and ethical ways possible.”

Makeeda Bandele-Asante, MS, RD, Urban Farmer & Registered Dietitian, The Herbaceous Collective

Makeeda bridges clinical expertise with food sovereignty, emphasizing that nutrition must be both culturally relevant and community-led.

“We cannot free ourselves until we feed ourselves. Food justice is about removing shame, reducing barriers, and making nutrition real for people where they are. From corner stores to kitchens, we must pair evidence-based practices with community wisdom.”

Che Axum, Agronomist & Director of Urban Agriculture and Gardening Education, University of the District of Columbia

A lifelong scientist and educator, Che has led groundbreaking work in urban agriculture, advancing food sovereignty in DC through land use, soil health, and climate-smart farming practices.

Moderator: Tamara Dickerson, Outreach & Engagement Specialist, CEEJH INC

Why This Conversation Matters

Food insecurity in DC is not just a matter of hunger—it is a matter of justice. With federal cuts to nutrition programs looming, and with DC residents denied full political representation, the demand for food sovereignty is urgent and undeniable.

This panel will explore innovative solutions like urban farms, cooperative food models, culturally rooted nutrition education, and youth-driven advocacy. Attendees will learn how grassroots leaders are redefining food not only as a basic right but as a tool of resilience, resistance, and renewal.

📍 Join us tomorrow, Friday, September 12 at 11:30 AM for a transformative discussion at the Sheraton Inner Harbor Hotel in Baltimore. Together, we can move from food deserts to food democracy—and from disenfranchisement to sovereignty.

About CEEJH INC

The Center for Engagement, Environmental Justice, and Health (CEEJH INC) is a national leader in confronting environmental injustices and health inequities rooted in environmental racism, structural inequality, and neoliberal policies. Founded with a vision to INpower communities, CEEJH brings together grassroots leaders, researchers, and policymakers to advance solutions that put the voices of impacted communities at the center. Through community-driven research, education, advocacy, and organizing, CEEJH works to dismantle barriers to health equity and build resilient, thriving communities across the country.

About WANDA

WANDA: Women Advancing Nutrition, Dietetics, and Agriculture is a global nonprofit organization committed to transforming the food system by centering the power, knowledge, and leadership of Black women and girls. WANDA reclaims cultural foodways as a pathway to healing, health equity, and economic empowerment. From creating nutrition education programs like Little WANDA for children, to convening sisterhood suppers and advancing food policy, WANDA is cultivating the next generation of “Food Sheroes” who champion food as medicine, food sovereignty, and food justice in communities across the African diaspora.