Los Jardines Institute grounds in Alburquerque, NM. Photo credit: Los Jardines Institute
Los Jardines Institute (LJI) in Albuquerque, New Mexico shows the possibilities for success created by bottom-up, community-led action to reduce the threats of the climate crisis. They have taken a leadership role in greenhouse gas mitigation efforts as well as economic and environmental justice solutions, in a holistic way that addresses community needs from local, state, and national levels. They facilitate self-empowerment of low-income Latino, Indigenous, and Black communities through coalitions that advance visionary grassroots just transition projects and counter environmental racism. Years of good reputation have yielded private and public grants in the millions and programs are rapidly expanding.
The achievements of LJI include a farmer’s cooperative, Agri-Cultura Network, with 75 organic farms; a produce distribution cooperative, Local Food Solutions, with large-scale clients all over the city; a nature preserve, Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge, that prevented dirty development; a “food as medicine” program whereby doctors can prescribe healthy food and provide vouchers for free organic produce; air pollution monitoring programs; executive orders at urban municipal level (Albuquerque) and rural county levels (San Miguel and Mora Counties) that created oversight committees to ensure local environmental justice organizations are prioritized for state and federal funding, by leading a coalition that demanded these policies and will facilitate moving resources in effective ways; as well as a coalition organized to fight “false solutions” like a proposed hydrogen hub (a water-intensive project foolish in an arid region) and nuclear power (NM communities already experience grave harms from uranium pollution); and a supporting role in the campaign that recently won fare-free public transit throughout Albuquerque. A few details about flagship programs listed below.
Richard Moore, Executive Director of LJI and a Board Member of JTA, is a co-chair of the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council (WHEJAC). This position has been integral to the success of LJI (along with many allied organizations and campaigns), because Mr. Moore was able to convince President Biden that in return for the grassroots organizing necessary to win votes, he must deliver for the communities that supported him. The WHEJAC deserves credit for Biden’s executive orders on environmental justice and global warming as well as “Justice40,” the commitment that 40% of grants from federal departments will be allocated to marginalized and environmental justice communities.
Agri-Cultura Network: Not only a cooperative of existing farms, ACN has an educational mission, advising local farmers how to adapt to changing conditions while consulting with elders to re-learn traditional knowledge. They are training a new workforce, providing good jobs for youth. Their collective scale allows them to outbid corporate farms and they have secured contracts with public schools, hospitals, many restaurants, and a large network of senior centers on indigenous lands.
Local Food Solutions: Complementing the farmers’ co-op, LFS runs a commercial kitchen making value-added products and distributing them through the city’s dollar stores. They build greenhouses at schools, clinics and affordable housing units, and with USDA support they plant fruit trees to create “food forests,” a combined ecosystem-restoration/agriculture endeavor. They are now starting their own tree nursery. This program also trains youth workers.
Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge: A former dairy farm that polluted the aquifer, this 570-acre property was slated for industrial development that would have further poisoned neighbors. Instead, with massive community support the land was purchased and is now a site of ecosystem restoration and de-aridification projects.
Justice40 Coalition: Largely responsible for the over $60B now available to marginalized communities and BIPOC-led organizations for climate solutions, superfund site cleanup, lead pipe replacements, etc.
New Mexico No False Solutions Coalition: LJI provides support to Indigenous and EJ organizations pushing back against corporate schemes seeking to profit from the climate crisis while continuing to harm communities that have been historically most impacted by dangerous energy sources like uranium.