About Food Justice NW Aurora

Our Mission

Food Justice NW Aurora is building a multicultural, intergenerational, and intersectional movement for food justice and food sovereignty to transform our local food system in NW Aurora, CO.

We strive to create a just, sustainable, and complete food environment by mobilizing people, organizations, and businesses; building community wealth; facilitating and nurturing strategic partnerships; and advocating for policy and systems changes.

Just

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Sustainable

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Just → Sustainable → Complete →

Our Vision

    • Uphold the right to nutritious food for all people;

    • Enjoy local food that is nutritious, affordable, culturally significant, and sustainably produced by multicultural and community-based farms, gardens, organizations, and food businesses;

    • Remain and thrive in NW Aurora by building community wealth and sharing the abundance of the local food economy;

    • Respect and justly compensate frontline workers throughout the food system who are the keepers and sharers of agricultural and culinary knowledge from cultures around the world;

    • Teach and pass on knowledge about land stewardship, cultivation, and food preparation through cross-cultural and intergenerational sharing;

    • Care for and protect the land, air, and water that form the cradle of our food, health, and wellbeing; and

    • Stand with folks leading social, economic, and environmental justice movements in marginalized and oppressed communities.

Our Story

Founded in 2022 by a collective of community residents, gardeners, nonprofit representatives, and advocates, FJNWA was born out of a desire to address urgent gaps in access to nutritious, affordable, and culturally relevant food in NW Aurora.

The organization emerged as a response to growing development pressure, displacement, and a lack of ownership over the local food system. FJNWA's model is rooted in community voice, grassroots leadership, and equity-driven change.

Our Core Values

Our commitments to the following values guide and inform our work. We see these values as mutually supportive. Together, they create the foundation for the work we do. By committing to these values and continuing to learn how we can embody them as a group, we believe they will support us to achieve our goals and move towards mutual aid and solidarity.

  • We believe that those who are most adversely impacted by the current political, social, and economic systems should play a key role in transforming and building new systems. Their voices will be prioritized and represented in our community work. We work towards optimal health, social, environmental, and economic outcomes for all people of all identities. Equity is central to both our process of working together as well as the outcomes we seek

  • We believe that we are capable of more when we work together, that our health and well-being is inter-connected, and that by recognizing and claiming our shared interests we can utilize our community power most effectively.

  • We believe in the abundance and abilities of our community. We leverage the individual and collective skills, talents, and resources of the whole community to realize a robust local food system. We organize among local producers, multicultural food businesses, food assistance programs, food workers, and consumers.

  • We believe that honesty and transparency are key to building trust within our organization and in the broader community. We foster a culture of responsibility for our achievements and our errors, and strive to receive criticism with openness and grace. We are committed to each other, our collective needs, and our shared goals.

  • We believe that everyone deserves dignity and respect. We acknowledge the historical and current harm caused by institutional and individual discrimination and exploitation, as well as the impact that has on health, wellness, and future possibilities. We seek to be part of healing within our community in working together towards our shared goals.

Guiding Principles

Nutritious food is a basic human right and should be accessible to ALL

Like breathing clean air or drinking clean water, nutritious food should be available, accessible, and in adequate supply for all people.

Solutions should come from within our community and be led by our community

These solutions should not perpetuate or exacerbate oppressive systems, which we are attempting to heal from, challenge, and change.

The cultural richness and uniqueness of NW Aurora is a precious resource that we must support and preserve

We will assert and affirm our local communities’ rights to healthy food, air, water, and dignity and not contribute to the gentrification nor displacement of communities. We especially honor and elevate the contributions, leadership, and challenges of the immigrant, refugee, asylee, and BIPOC members of our community.

Taking Time to Listen

Understanding the landscape of food access in Northwest Aurora begins with listening to the community. These statistics come from resident surveys and community meetings held throughout 2023 and 2024, including data collected during the Grocery Access Meeting and FJNWA’s annual Food Justice Festival.

They highlight the most pressing barriers facing local families — from affordability to availability of culturally relevant food — and provide a foundation for the strategies and solutions FJNWA is building with residents, small businesses, and partners.

In 2024, 66% of respondents in NW Aurora reported experiencing or being at risk of food insecurity*

Only 11.2% of Colorado residents experience food insecurity by comparison (Hunger Free Colorado, 2024)

Limited access to culturally relevant foods and transportation to stores were top barriers cited*

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