Like any gathering space, tables are forums for dialogue. Urban Table: The Food Movement Serving NYC brings together twelve individuals and organizations that are making sustenance more accessible and its producers and consumers more socially conscious. New Yorkers are cultivating community by assembling around the table to challenge the dominant food system.

The desire for access to healthy, local, and organic food has motivated people to embrace alternatives to large-scale food production, thus reconstructing their relationship with food. In the process, New Yorkers are building a dynamic foodshed, a socio-geographic region in which food is responsibly grown, distributed, prepared, and consumed. 

By focusing on the work of contemporary social advocates who promote democratic and ethical practices, Urban Table showcases initiatives that are reshaping perceptions of sustenance and inspiring communities to challenge urban issues such as social inequity and access to fresh, healthy food.

Urban Table is structured to consider the role of people in the life cycle of food, from seed to table. Visitors can click on the tiles to navigate through the profiles of the producers, distributors, and consumers active in the food movement. The purpose of the exhibition is to encourage people to think critically and to engage with the impact of this initiative on the urban community. To learn more about the organizations profiled, visitors can refer to the map located in the menu. For those interested in expanding their knowledge of the food movement, consult the resources tab.

Urban Table grew out of a Columbia University Graduate School course. This online exhibition was curated by the students of the Museum Anthropology Program under the guidance of Erin Hasinoff. We invite you to explore the rich map of New York’s sources of nourishment, discover some initiatives transforming the city’s foodshed, and consider the future of food in the Big Apple.