Shared with you by invitation
Where we are headed

Food that grows where people live.

Community-developed gardens, farms, markets, and stores, built to last. This is Cornucopia's commitment, and the story of how we'll achieve it begins below.

A community garden seen from above, beds and paths between houses A father and daughter hold fresh cucumbers on their farm Young crop rows in red soil, seen from above
A mother holds her baby at a market stall stacked with tomatoes A roadside fruit stand with bananas hanging over the produce
Hand painted signs pointing to bananas, papaya, avocado, limes, grapefruit Fresh eggs in a nest of straw
A goat and a chicken share a farmyard A rooster stands beside a sleeping dog in a yard
A musician plays a steel pan under a canopy A farmer holds a bunch of green plantains
A farm crew in green work clothes on a tractor Hands hold freshly dug tubers, soil still on them
Three children laughing on a beach Children hold out slices of watermelon
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DAILY FOOD CHALLENGES

Food deserts

A neighborhood saturated with convenience and liquor stores, yet lacking adequate bus stops, grocery stores or food markets within a mile, is no accident. It reflects a deliberate restriction of access to nutritious, high-quality food for families who need it.

A neon LIQUOR sign at night A liquor store and check cashing shop lit at night, black and white A strip of liquor stores with price signs in the windows
Food deserts are geographical areas that lack sufficient supply of fresh vegetables, fruits, and healthful, affordable whole foods. American Nutrition Association
A woman waits alone at a bus stop, black and white People board a city bus People ride standing on the back of a truck along a tropical road
A boarded-up Food Mart A closed grocery store and empty lot, black and white A FOOD STORE sign over an empty lot
A man carries a box on his head along a sunlit wall, black and white An older man pushes a cart of grocery bags
Empty shelves in a grocery aisle A woman hands food to a seated vendor on a sidewalk, black and white

Three miles, and nothing to eat

Along one Georgia thoroughfare, an aging grocery anchors one end and a warehouse club the other. Across the three miles between them, liquor stores are the only places selling food. For families without a car, access to healthy food depends on public transportation services.

From our team's own drive, 2026
An area in the United States with limited access to affordable and nutritious food, particularly such an area composed of predominantly lower-income neighborhoods and communities. 2008 Farm Bill, Section 7527
A woman in a straw hat walks a long road carrying a large basket A woman carries a sack on her head along a dirt path, black and white Riders crowd the back of a truck, looking out
2.1 billion people, 25.8 percent of the world, were moderately or severely food insecure in 2025. The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2026
A man sits with his grocery bags at his feet, black and white Two men sell limes from the sidewalk beside a bicycle
A global food desert is a geographic area where residents have little to no access to affordable, fresh, and nutritious food, typically due to a lack of nearby grocery stores and reliable transportation. Sunhak Peace Prize
42% of the English and Dutch speaking Caribbean, about 3.2 million of 7.6 million people, were food insecure as of June 2025. Caribbean Food Security & Livelihoods Survey, regional report, July 2025
A liquor store and check cashing shop lit at night Empty shelves in a grocery aisle, black and white A quiet street with a small shuttered kiosk and a pink building
UNPREDICTABLE ECONOMY

When the chain breaks

Most food travels far before reaching store shelves. A flood, fire, port closure, or fuel-price spike can leave those shelves empty again.

A flooded village between palm trees, seen from above A road cut by floodwater through green land, black and white Farm buildings and silos standing in floodwater
Disruptions in the food supply chain are events that affect the flow of products and can be caused by extreme weather, natural disasters, conflicts, pandemics, and political situations, among others. These events can significantly impact food products' availability, quality, and cost, creating risks to the well-being of local populations and livelihoods. NIH, Disruptions in the food supply chain: a literature review
A landslide of trees and earth blocks a road Fire moves across a field, seen from above
Stacked shipping containers, black and white A wall of shipping containers along an empty road
A tractor parked in front of a crumbling house A long corridor of warehouse racks, black and white
Empty green shelves, black and white A market stall shuttered behind a grille

Help arrives. Then it leaves.

Aid arrives, food boxes are distributed, and families eat for the week. When the program ends, hunger returns.

Hands pass a cardboard box labeled FOOD Two boys crouch and share food from a pot
Two children hold out empty bowls, black and white Nearly empty supermarket shelves
A child holds two bags of food from a food bank A box of donated groceries, black and white
Trade policies and economic factors influence food prices and consumer purchasing power, wherever the food ships from. Foundation research deck, 2026
Food moves on logistics: transportation, storage, and the roads and waterways underneath them. Where they fail, food does not arrive. Building and repairing them is generational work. Foundation research deck, 2026
A road cut by floodwater through green land A truck full of riders on an open road, seen from above, black and white A long corridor of warehouse racks
WORKING TOGETHER, WORKS

One food system, grown in place

Gardens that nourish local residents first. Farms, markets, a neighborhood grocery hub, and water and road infrastructure work together to create a sustainable community food system.

Raised community garden beds seen from above Bare hands set a lettuce seedling into dark soil Gloved hands set lettuce into a row, black and white

Gardens

Community gardens provide immediate availability of produce for ongoing local food support. First thing planted, first thing feeding people.

Foundation research deck, 2026
A farmer in a straw hat works the soil with a hoe Young crop rows in red soil, seen from above Farm workers move down long crop rows, black and white

Farms

Large farms grow a diverse variety of crops and livestock, creating jobs and an organic farm to market food supply.

Foundation research deck, 2026
A market vendor with tomatoes and greens Peppers and produce piled on a market table A street market table of tomatoes, cabbages, and peppers under the trees

Markets

Market sales provide economic development streams for local grocers and restaurants to add more inventory and services.

Foundation research deck, 2026
A hand passes an onion across the counter of a small grocery A father and son pick tomatoes in a grocery

A grocery anchor

Grocery development follows a proven pattern: the store anchors a corner, and everyday services fill the spaces beside it. Our development team has built this pattern out for major grocery chains. In design: a nutrition service where a doctor's guidance shapes the food a family takes home.

Partnership details shared in conversation
Water sprays over rows of young plants A cart of produce is pushed down a narrow painted street A van loaded with boxes of produce, black and white

Water and roads

Clean water and reliable roads, built new or repaired, so access is permanent rather than seasonal. Farming needs them, and so does everyone else.

Foundation research deck, 2026
Hands lift sweet potatoes from a sack Hens with their chicks
A farmer holds a bunch of green plantains Fresh eggs in a nest of straw A fruit stand hung with bunches of bananas
THE STRENGTH OF COMMUNITY

Built to last, owned where it lives

Gardens supply markets, farms stock stores, and local spending supports the neighborhood. After our work ends, the food system continues to thrive.

A neighborhood gathering at night under string lights, seen from above Women in bright dress share a meal together Elders sit and talk beside the stalls of a street market, black and white
A mother and child pick fruit at a stand A father holds his baby, who holds an apple
A father laughs with his child at an outdoor table A family portrait under a tree, black and white
Hands share a pile of limes A boy grins holding a piece of fruit
A toddler bites into a slice of watermelon Three children laughing on a beach, black and white
Bags of potatoes, peppers, and limes ready for market Women share a meal together, black and white
Our invitation

Build it With Us

Cornucopia invites you to become a partner at the level that best meets your comfort towards helping us build sustainable systems.

Meet a fundamental survival need for food and nutrition through your support of neighborhood stewardship of farms and markets that empower community stability and economic growth.

See the numbers

Food insecurity, mapped

Two live maps, one for the world and one for the United States, show the current demographics of food insecurity worldwide.

The world FAO Hunger Map United States NIH HDPulse food environment