Welcome to our new members from Mexico – Canada – USA

We are glad to share that our community is growing! Please make sure to take the time to read the new members’ presentation and learn more about their amazing work!

Mercado el 100 – Mexico 

Local member running 1 market in Mexico City

Mercado el 100 A.C., is a platform that seeks to promote small organic and local producers, which promotes conscious, healthy and sustainable consumption habits, creating a local development model between the countryside and the city, according to fair trade principles.

It is a meeting place, a place for exchanging experiences, offering fresh, high-quality products, together with an educational programme that seeks to promote a more responsible lifestyle with the environment and people.

Objectives:

  • Promote the culture of fair trade and responsible consumption
  • To develop ethical trade platforms.
  • To be the most inspiring sustainable food movement in Latin America.
  • Transform Mercado el 100 producers into examples of socio-environmental enterprises

Levels of Social Impact

The market is a meeting point, bringing together rural actors, with city dwellers, concentrating people with similar interests, creating an environment that encourages exchange, reinforcing it with free activities by promoting a strong community spirit.

Environmental

Locally sourced products, avoid long transport and cooling periods. Organic production practices, maintain soil fertility, promote biodiversity conservation, do not pollute water and mitigate urban sprawl.

Economical

By receiving a fair price for their products, producers can continuously and sustainably devote themselves to their productive activity, benefiting them, their families and co-workers, and reducing migration and the destruction of households.

Mercado el 100 is the only organization recognised by SENASICA in the city of Mexico to manage a Participatory Organism Certification System (SCOP), they have more than 5 years of experience in this model.

As part of the SCOP, capacity-building workshops are held, through which more than 25 training courses have been facilitated to producers and processors.

Nominated 2023 for Best Food Development Project by GOULA and Best Gourmet Space by Food & Travel, it consists of 50 family-owned companies or small producer/processor groups, resulting in an offer of more than 800 products.

For 40% of the participating producers Market 100 represents more than 50% of their total sales.

Association des Marchés publics du Québec – Canada

Subnational member running 150 farmers markets across the Québec province L’Association des Marchés publics du Québec accompanies and supports the emergence, development and promotion of farmers’ markets for the benefit of local communities, farmers and food artisans in the Quebec’s local food sector.

Our ambitions are to make local food accessible to all citizens, to contribute to the prosperity of our agricultural and local food businesses, as well as to the vitality of our territories for generations to come. We promote Quebec’s  farmers markets as gourmet destinations, offering in a single trip the opportunity to discover the flavors and identity of a region.

We believe that allowing citizens to access public spaces where they can directly meet farmers and food artisans, and thus establishing close and lasting links, promotes a feeling of belonging to their territory and helps to mobilize the community in favor of healthy, local food.

We also believe that promoting the diversity of Quebec’s local products, as well as the now-how of our farmers and food artisans, constitutes an irresistible invitation for visitors looking for experiences more connected to the heart of communities. This also contributes to the visibility of our local products and, therefore, to our food autonomy.

Finally, we believe that our commitment to providing tools to managers of Quebec’s farmers’ markets are essential to promote access to healthy, local food. Through its action, it contributes to enriching the attractiveness of territories and the diversity of the gourmet tourism offer.

L’Association des Marchés publics du Québec highlights, to the various authorities concerned, the social, economic and cultural role they play within Quebec communities. It also means defending their interests to guarantee the sustainability of these precious food places which contribute to social and intergenerational diversity, so that they continue to play their essential role in the development of local, sustainable and more resilient food systems.

The Food Trust – USA 

Local member running 7 Farmers Markets in Philadelphia 

Founded in 1992, The Food Trust works with neighborhoods, institutions, retailers, farmers and policymakers across the country to ensure delicious, nutritious food for all. Backed by decades of research and evaluation, our holistic, community-centered approach to nutrition security weaves together three core programming elements — access, affordability and education — as well as a focus on advocating for public policy solutions.

The Food Trust’s journey began over 30 years ago with a single farmers market in Southwest Philadelphia’s Tasker Homes housing development and, over time, has grown into a leading organization serving communities across the city and country. The Farmers Market Program currently operates 7 markets in Philadelphia and supports an additional 6 independently run markets, both year-round and seasonally, balancing farm stands in under-resourced communities across the city as well as some large-scale, multi-vendor Farmers Markets like Clark Park (Philly’s oldest year-round farmers market) and Headhouse Square (one of the city’s largest outdoor markets). This program provides fresh produce to over 300,000 customers annually, and these access points not only offer healthy food options but also serve as community hubs for nutrition education, food demonstrations and community connections. The Farmers Markets strengthen both the local economy and food systems, by ensuring growers can accept and customers can use additional currency such as EBT/SNAP benefits, Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) Vouchers and Food Bucks.

The Farmers Market Program team is composed of dedicated professionals who are passionate about making a difference and working closely with farmers, community organizations, schools, and policymakers to develop and implement innovative programs that address food insecurity and promote healthy eating habits. At the heart of the work is a commitment to equity and sustainability. The Food Trust believes that everyone deserves the opportunity to lead a healthy life, regardless of their background or circumstances. By supporting local farmers, advocating for policy changes and empowering communities, the organization is working toward a future where delicious, nutritious food is abundant and accessible to all.

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