Samantha Ruth Brown

Founded in 1974, the Institute for Local Self-Reliance is a national research and technical assistance organization that constructs the foundation and frame upon which communities can take charge of their local resources, economies, and environmental future. ILSR challenges concentrated economic and political power and instead champions an approach in which ownership is broadly distributed, institutions are humanly scaled, and decision-making is accountable to communities. The Food Systems and Grocery Policy Researcher will work to illuminate how shifts in public policy have reshaped the nation’s food landscape—and to help envision more democratic, community-rooted alternatives. The fellow will gather and interpret stories from affected communities; situate these stories within broader historical, political, and cultural contexts; and help translate these insights into public writing, narrative framing, and policy solutions. The fellow will also explore promising examples—particularly cooperative and community-rooted models—that demonstrate how different choices can rebuild resilience and local control.