We are intentional about the work we engage in, and the words that we choose to describe and define it. Here are quick answers to a number of commonly asked questions about how we frame our work. Click on the question to learn more.
+ Why does CRAFT center people and communities in its approach to food systems?
We believe the system is only as vibrant and promising as the people and communities that comprise and are given space to thrive within it.
Additionally, we believe the consolidation and industrialization of our food system has often led to the erasure of the people and their labor on which the system is built. By centering people in our food system work, we aim to course-correct.
+ Where does environmental sustainability fit into CRAFT’s vision of a transformative food system?
We do not center environmental sustainability in our approach to food systems, though we value it as an expression and byproduct of a truly equitable system that includes all people and recognizes their inherent power.
We are a Center that operates within a larger institution that provides education, conducts research, and implements work around environmental sustainability, and we also work in concert with other organizations who do the same.
+ Why does the Food Innovation Lab focus on small to mid-sized food businesses?
We believe the durability and resiliency of food systems depend upon their diversity. One, because diverse systems benefit from the varied knowledge and experience of their stakeholders. Two, because diverse systems allow for the inclusion of more nimble and adaptable businesses and institutions that are often better suited to withstand large system shocks.
Larger businesses often have capital and access to the resources needed to conduct things like robust market research, consumer surveys, product development, etc., while smaller corporations often do not. So, we aim to fill this gap and provide such resources and services to small to mid-sized food businesses, because we know what a vital component they are of our regional food systems.
+ What is the significance of CRAFT’s commitment to open-source food system data?
Inequity within our food system is often upheld where access to information is limited. We aim to build a foundation of food system information that is available to any food business or organization who may be looking to identify potential product or ingredients, buyers, sellers, distribution sites, etc., or conduct a deeper analysis of our regional food system.
A great deal of time and resources are necessary to create and maintain this foundational information, which often makes it inaccessible to smaller businesses and non-profit organizations who are unable to bear these costs. We also know from the experiences of partners in other regions, that it is often difficult to maintain funding and momentum around this type of research. Through the coordinated efforts of our network and our position within an academic institution, we believe this is a need we are well positioned to meet that will take marked strides towards democratizing food system information and fostering equity in our region.
+ Why does CRAFT maintain a specific focus on regional grains?
Grains are central to our diets, as well as how our thinking about food systems evolved. The concept of a food system or food regime was developed from taking a world systems view on how grains are grown. The types of grains, the method of cultivation, their use for food or feed, and the ability of citizens to transport, export, or import the desired varieties of grains often determine the size and type of society that develops.
Furthermore, despite the significance of grains to our food system and daily diets, they’re often left out of local food movements because of the predominance of consolidated grain producers and a subsequent loss of knowledge around growing them. In our region, for example, grains were once far more commonly grown for human consumption, but now are often only produced for animal feed. You can go to any farmer’s market in Pittsburgh, and find local produce, meat, and dairy, but you will be hard pressed to find local flour. This is a space that not many are currently operating in our region, and so it is a gap we feel we can fill without duplicating any efforts.
+ Why does CRAFT gather oral history and other qualitative food system data?
We take a holistic approach to promoting change within our food system, which requires understanding the social, cultural, and political significance of food that cannot often be reflected in numbers or percentages alone. We pair this quantitative information with stories, photographs, and recipes that reveal a more nuanced picture of how food functions in our society.
Additionally, this approach allows us to uncover, honor, and preserve the labor and cultural traditions of people that have been historically erased from history or our understanding of food systems, including women and black, indigenous, and other people of color.
+ How does food access and food justice fit into CRAFT’s vision of a transformative food system?
We center equity in each of our programs and projects in an effort to foster food sovereignty in our communities. We acknowledge the conflict of interest manifest in the emergency food industrial complex, and even the foundation industrial complex from which we benefit as a non-profit, as well as the culture of disempowerment and stigmatization that these complexes often create and perpetuate. We work towards food insecurity solutions that focus on living wages and sustainable livelihoods, as well as seek reform within the funding ecosystem for food access and system work.
+ What does CRAFT mean by food innovation?
In a tech town like Pittsburgh, the word innovation is often used synonymously with technology, but the word actually means to make changes in something established, especially by introducing new methods, ideas, or products, and this is how we use it to refer to the work we do in our Food Innovation Lab. In our lab, we support local food entrepreneurs in establishing vibrant businesses, successful products, and meaningful network connections. We do not believe there is a silver bullet for fixing or perfecting our food system. We focus our efforts on the daily work that will get us there in time.
+ What does CRAFT mean by community investment?
While we often wish we had the financial resources to invest dollars directly into our communities and the local business we work with, our community investment programming often refers to a non-monetary investment of time, knowledge, and other resources into programs that address system needs in our region. Such programs have included the development of commercial kitchen spaces, regional promotion and branding, food hub feasibility and capacity analysis, and sustainable emergency food interventions.
+ How does CRAFT define influencers, and why are they important?
There are many ways that we can influence our food system as eaters, consumers, business owners, industry professionals, food writers, policy makers, and more. We are all influencers in one way or another. At CRAFT, we aim to provide resources and information to a wide array of individuals to be used in the unique and varied ways in which they are each able to impact change in our food systems.