The Promise of Urban Agroecology to Enhance Food and Nutrition Security in the 21st Century


October 7, 2025

Mchezaji “Che” Axum Growing Forward Essay

"In 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic forced schools to embrace remote learning models, we had to decide what to do with the food hubs and farms at the University of the District of Columbia (UDC). We couldn’t tend to the produce from our homes, but we realized what we were doing was too important to stop. Lines at food banks were getting longer and the need from the community was only growing. We chose to keep the farms rolling. Each week, we loaded up UDC’s food truck with our produce and delivered it to our partners at the nonprofit Martha’s Table and local D.C. churches, who then distributed it to keep our neighbors—and our city—fed."

Read more in an essay by Mchezaji “Che” Axum, Director of the Center for Urban Agriculture and Gardening Education.

Read more at:
https://foodtank.com/news/2025/10/the-promise-of-urban-agroecology-to-enhance-f…