Supporting Farmers from the Civil Rights Era to Today

Each year, the JBF Leadership Awards honor five individuals responsible for creating a healthier, safer, and more sustainable food world. Our 2018 recipients come from all sectors of the food system, from retail to farming to the halls of Washington, D.C. Despite their disparate titles and roles, what unites these visionaries is their desire to see more equity, opportunity, and innovation in the journey from field to plate.

2018 Leadership Award honoree Shirley Sherrod was an active civil rights advocate in the 1960s, helping to establish New Communities, the first community land trust in the United States, and one of the largest black-owned properties in the country. Today Sherrod is the executive director of the Southwest Georgia Project for Community Education (SWGP), a non-profit organization which is currently working to establish a facility where small farmers in a 20-county area can bring their produce to be processed and shipped to various markets, including school systems. Learn more about Sherrod's work in the video above.

See the full list of 2018 and past Leadership Award recipients and learn more about the Awards.