Vernon interviews Angela Marie Sayles, CEO of Little Africa Food Collaborative. Angela. Vernon will discuss her efforts to address land and food rights, and the topic of Rethinking Market Studies for Black Led Cooperatives.
Angela holds the position of CEO for the Little Africa Food Cooperative. She advocates for local food systems and cooperatives, lobbying within the Ag Noire Coalition and the National Cooperative Business Association. Angela’s work as research facilitator, with National Black Food & Justice Alliance Market Study Group, has produced a 40-page summary report on the topic of Rethinking Market Studies for Black Led Cooperatives. Most recently, Angela hosted the United Nations parallel event focused on Innovation and Technology in Land and Food Rights for Global African Women and Girls at the 67th Commission on the Status of Women.
Angela is involved in local, national, and global projects addressing land and food rights, cooperative ownership equity, financial sustainability in agribusiness, and social enterprise fund development. She facilitates sustainability training for Cleveland residents with greenspace projects and is currently serving on a community land trust committee with the Vital Neighborhoods working group under the City of Cleveland Mayor’s Office of Sustainability.
Founded in 2016, Little Africa Food Collaborative’s mission is to provide an inexpensive healthy food source, for impoverished urban communities. The organization strives to create economic, social and cultural independence.