With generous support from the Chipotle Cultivate Foundation, the IRC launched a MicroProducer Academy in 2013 to enable refugee farmers to adapt their existing skills to the U.S. agricultural landscape and marketplace.
While most Americans today have no idea where their food comes from—let alone how it is grown—more than half of the refugees who are resettled in the U.S. each year come from agrarian backgrounds. Many are accustomed to growing their own produce or sourcing it locally. As our country grapples with the health, environmental and economic implications of a broken food system, refugees and other immigrants are literally bringing valuable farming and nutritional expertise to our table.