About

According to the U.S. Agricultural Census, African American farmers make up around 1.5 % of the nations farmers. In California, we are less than 1/3 of one percent. While our farmers have been on a decline, so to has grocery stores in our neighborhoods. Terms like, "Food Desserts" and "Food Security," often refer to a population, often African American, Latino, which has very few places within the community to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables.


Over the years of connecting with African American farmers to supply produce at our markets, we have concluded a needed partnership between our farmers and our urban communities.

Through the years, Mo' Better Food has worked to promote African American Farmers by featuring their produce at Farmer markets, restaurants, Grocery Stores, Churches, Expo's and special events.

Since 1998, we have been marketing produce by the African American Farmers of California mainly at our farmers market in West Oakland for the past 10 years.

Our initial plan was to start with a farmers market to create a relationship with small farmers that could lead into owning an operating a community owned grocery store with food provided by the African American farmers of California.

In 2001-2002 Mo' Better Food became the co-director of the West Oakland Food Collaborative which received a three year grant from the U.S.D.A. The grant was to expand the farmers market, intially started by Mo' Better Food (held at McClymonds High School) for the first two years and to open a grocery store by year three. During those days of planning, we called the grocery store, "The Soul food Cooperative." The name was later changed to Mandela Food Cooperative Grocery store to emphasis its location on 7th street and Mandela Parkway.

Since those days, Mo' Better Food has changed its strategy from "build it...they will come," to "go where they are." Since our early days, we have joined other organizations whom we believe directly influence the systems of the generations we plan to serve.

Since the Healthy Economics Model declared the High School as the nucleus of the community, for the past four years, David Roach has been an active member of the McClymonds High School Alumni Association. he is also on the McClymonds Merit Award Board, The PTSA, and co-chair of the Global Trade Academy at McClymonds.

In 2012, we would like to see student leaders meeting with our Global Trade Advisory Board (which consists of Port of Oakland, APL, and others) to envision and plan social enterprises to improve McClymond's and it's surrounding community.

Some of the organizations outside of McClymonds involved at various degrees with the Healhty Economics Campaign are: Urban Releaf and the Bay Area Morehouse Alumni Association.

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