The Appalachian Food Justice Institute (AFJI) is a collaborative educational program hosted by the WVU Center for Resilient Communities, and its community partners in West Virginia. Now in its fifth year, AFJI prepares student leaders to meaningfully engage in local and regional food system development bringing lessons from social movements advancing food sovereignty and the right to food across the world to the critical community food security work currently underway in the Appalachian context. 

Over the course of a week of interactive pedagogy, participants develop leadership and planning skills while learning about the political economy of the food system, historical injustices associated with it, the instrumental role of food policy in reinforcing or addressing those, the relationships between food production and food consumption, nutrition assistance and food insecurity, the difference between profit driven and cooperative food systems and the impacts of climate change on food system futures. 

The CRC also offers students opportunities for hands-on experience with food and farm organizations concerned with advancing equitable food networks in Appalachia. Students who apply for the paid internship will go through a selection process to join this 12 week program. In 2023 interns will be placed with Mountain Harvest Farm and Garrett Growers. We are also excited to welcome student leaders working with the WVU Organic Farm, the WVU Urban Farm, and the WVU Davis Store to this year’s AFJI cohort. 

1. Appalachian Food Justice Institute - Workshop Program - Morgantown (May 22 -May 26)

In this five-day immersive workshop program participants will learn from experienced right to food advocates about the movement for food justice and how they can work in their communities to plan for community-based food system development. The course will include sessions on learning leadership, food access inequalities, food access strategies, participatory action research and how to facilitate movement building in your community. We will also do field trips. Participants will develop a personal action plan for their work in their communities.

2. Farm and Food Hub Internship (May 15 - July 28)

In this 12 week internship participants will learn by doing with experienced food system developers through a 30 hr/week paid internship placement ($5,400) with Mountain Harvest Farm and Garrett Growers Cooperative. Internship requirements vary and will be explored in more detail through the application process, but focus on food production and regional food networks. Interns are required to complete AFJI curriculum May 22 - May 26. 

If you have additional questions regarding the 2023 Appalachian Food Justice Institute, please contact Dylan Upperman - dpu0001@mix.wvu.edu 

Application Deadline: April 15, 2023