Vanessa Polanco

Government Relations Director at the National Young Farmers Coalition, where she helps shape farmer-centered policy campaigns for a more equitable food system. She is an Aspen Institute Food & Society fellow and works on Dominican foodways and food-sovereignty projects.

Food Workers’ Essential Role Has Not Translated Into Pay or Power

The food economy depends on workers who often lack fair pay, safe conditions, a voice at work and a share in business growth. In a panel on food justice, the speakers present different ways to build worker power and share value, from collective organizing to employee ownership. They do not treat any one model as a substitute for workers’ voice or the power to make institutions respond.

The Aspen InstituteOct 2, 202615 min read