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Previously, Cuisine Noir covered Anan Lololi, founder of Afri-Can FoodBasket in Toronto—Canada’s first Black-serving food organization at the head of the city’s Black food sovereignty movement. “The overall plan began when we started the Afri-Can FoodBasket in 1995,” Loloi says.
“We initially launched as a Black community food-buying club to ensure that food was accessible and affordable for our community, one of the most food-insecure areas in Canada and the largest of all Black communities in the country. People in our community were forced to purchase some of the most expensive foods, especially culturally significant ones. So, we formed this food buying club to ensure people of African descent in Toronto—mostly folks from the Caribbean—had access to nutritious, culturally appropriate foods they could afford.”
When neighborhoods or places are “food insecure,” people often buy what they can afford, not necessarily what’s nutritious or even culturally relevant. “We recognized that issue and established a nonprofit cooperative food-buying club, but we wanted to do more. We aimed to reach a point where we could grow these essential foods ourselves. This led to the start of our urban agriculture programs.”
Caribbean Roots, Music and Food
Lololi, born and raised in Guyana, grew up surrounded by nature and a plant-based lifestyle. As a Rastafarian, his connection to food is rooted in ‘Ital livity,’ a plant-based diet, and the belief that energy or life force flows through all people and all living things.
“I’ve been living a vegan lifestyle for over 50 years, so food and health have always been important to me,” he says. “I moved to Canada when I was about 18 and began as a musician, playing in a popular reggae band in Toronto. We traveled across Eastern Canada, mainly through Quebec and Eastern Ontario, and wherever we went, the band would cook together—even in hotel rooms, which sometimes got us in trouble. That experience solidified my interest in food.”
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Lololi returned to rural Guyana to work his family’s land for five years before moving back to Toronto, where he graduated with a degree in business administration. “I dreamed of opening a vegan restaurant, combining music, vegan food, and a cannabis dispensary—illegal in Canada then. I always joke that I’d probably be a millionaire if I’d started it 30 years ago.”
Instead, he discovered and secured a $50,000 grant, which he used to expand Afri-Can FoodBasket.
Reclaiming Black Food Systems
Afri-Can FoodBasket has always used regenerative farming techniques and practices, but Lololi says knowing and understanding Black food sovereignty is essential. He emphasizes that systemic racism impacts food systems in both Canada and the U.S., making it necessary for Black communities to reclaim food sovereignty.
“To be honest, the concept of Black food sovereignty is still relatively new in Black communities, especially here in Toronto. Early in my work with the Afri-Can FoodBasket, I often attended conferences, always looking to develop my understanding of food systems. I saw myself as a kind of Black minister of agriculture, working toward a food system where we could lead and support our communities. From the beginning, I envisioned an organization that was Black-led, Black-serving, and Black-mandated, and we’ve stayed true to that vision since our founding in 1995.”
Lololi realized that food sovereignty emphasizes the right of people to define their agricultural and food policies, prioritizing local agricultural production, ensuring access to water and seeds, and empowering communities to shape their own food systems.
“While I initially saw this as more relevant to rural settings, I soon realized that our work in urban, sustainable food systems was a form of Black food sovereignty. We created a food system defined by and for the Black community, growing food ecologically and using regenerative, organic farming practices. We’ve embraced our role as a Black food sovereignty institution and seen a growing movement around Black food culture—whether Jamaican, Ethiopian or Ghanaian—within our community.”
He acknowledges the presence of white food sovereignty organizations in the city and highlights his role on the Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario board, which promotes resilient ecological farms and fosters a robust knowledge-sharing community.
He stresses that achieving Black food sovereignty requires comparable initiatives. “This approach to resilience and ecological farming is essential for Black food sovereignty, too,” he says.
“We need to establish our own resilient ecological farms and build expertise in sustainable farming methods that work well in our communities. This means using the right techniques and training, like small grain cropping, crop diversification, green manure, and seed saving. For us, these methods are critically important.”
The former musician turned farmer says focusing intentionally on Black food sovereignty has sparked a new consciousness, with people increasingly interested in taking ownership of our food systems.
“Over the last 30 years, this movement has gained traction, particularly in the U.S., where I’ve recently attended events like the Black Sustainability Summit in Atlanta and gatherings in Detroit to discuss Black food sovereignty. While the Black population in Canada is small compared to the U.S., Toronto—often considered Canada’s Black hub—has seen a rise in interest, especially among Black women farmers.”
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Sharing the Vision of Black Food Sovereignty Behind Canada
“We’ve always been food-sovereign as a people. We’ve always had our own food systems. It was the transatlantic slave trade that put us in this position of dependency on white folks. Recently, a good friend and I established the Black Food Sovereignty Alliance as an institution. While I’m not the chair of the Black Society Working Group, I’m currently the interim executive director of the Black Food Sovereignty Alliance,” he shares.
“One of our main focus areas is education, particularly policy development, and we’re also dedicated to organizing an annual conference. In a few years, we hope to launch a North American Black Food Sovereignty Conference, bringing people together from across regions because this work of Black food sovereignty is not just local—it’s regional and international.”
Lololi will continue working with the Afri-Can FoodBasket, teaching the next generation regenerative farming methods and shaping the Black food sovereignty policy.
“The policy will guide food-related decisions and actions for people of African descent. This policy will focus on understanding and addressing food systems globally for Black communities, with a foundation in African history, culture, and values to promote sustainable and just food systems,” he says.
“The policy emphasizes the significance of traditional foodways—from cultivation, cooking, and preservation to celebrating harvests and governing food systems—that originated in African states and empires like the Oyo Empire. These histories shaped Black communities’ resilience and are critical to addressing today’s food insecurity, rooted in systemic racism.
“Our Black food sovereignty vision aims to set a unified direction for the future of Black food systems through a Pan-African approach, working with Canadian governments, organizations, and communities to foster food security and collaboration across Black communities and to build understanding within the Canadian food system.”
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