Sankofa Farming Cooperative addresses critical health disparities and food apartheid affecting Black and Indigenous communities in Montreal through a transformative model of agricultural reclamation and community healing. Our collective of Concordia alumni and students creates space for Afro-Indigenous peoples to reconnect with ancestral, agricultural knowledge while providing free, nutritious food to combat the cardiovascular disease and diabetes that disproportionately impact our communities due to systemic barriers to healthy food access. Rooted in the Akan concept of Sankofa—reaching back to move forward—our project intentionally operates at a pace that honours Indigenous values of deep relationship-building and sustainability over capitalist expansion. This deliberate approach allows us to cultivate authentic connections with our people, stories, ancestors, and land; ensuring our work remains grounded in community care rather than extraction and exploitation. We recognize that Montreal lacks Black-centered urban farming initiatives, creating an urgent need that Sankofa directly addresses through culturally-responsive food sovereignty work.
Our project creates multifaceted impacts across health, culture, and community resilience. Through hands-on volunteer days, workshops, farm tours and exchanges, we facilitate the relearning of inherently sustainable Afro-Indigenous farming practices that have been systematically erased through colonization. Participants gain practical agricultural skills while reconnecting with cultural traditions, creating both individual healing and collective empowerment. We distribute free produce directly to community members and partner with food programs serving Black neighborhoods, directly intervening in food apartheid conditions that threaten community health.
Beyond food distribution, Sankofa functions as a living classroom where food education and knowledge exchange flourish. Our events and collaborations with aligned organizations extend our reach throughout Montreal’s Black community, building networks of solidarity and shared learning. By centering Black and Indigenous leadership and wisdom, we challenge dominant agricultural systems that have marginalized our communities while demonstrating viable alternatives rooted in environmental stewardship and cultural preservation.
The forecasted results include increased food access for community members facing nutritional barriers, expanded networks of people equipped with sustainable farming knowledge, strengthened cultural connections to ancestral practices, and a replicable model for anticapitalist, community-centered food sovereignty. Our impact extends beyond immediate food provision—we’re cultivating a movement that maps futures informed by ancestral wisdom, breathing life into Indigenous traditions while building community resilience against systemic oppression. Sankofa Farming Cooperative represents both immediate intervention and long-term transformation, addressing urgent health needs while nurturing the cultural and spiritual connections that sustain thriving communities. Through this work, we reclaim our relationship to land, food, and each other, demonstrating that true food sovereignty emerges from honoring our roots.
YEARS FUNDED
2025
AMOUNT ALLOCATED
$5,000