This interactive webinar series invites Mary Belle Zook to speak about Progressive Models in Farmland Tenure & Working Waterways for the second installation of On Level Ground. Each 60-minute episode illuminates the work of one organization in a conversation-style, virtual setting with the hosts.

Conversations will be enriched with links (via chat) to published, peer-reviewed research on related topics from the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development. 

Mary Belle will speak on IFAI’s mission to enhance the health and wellness of Tribal communities by advancing healthy food systems, diversified economic development, and cultural food traditions. She will discuss how IFAI provides strategic legal analysis, policy research, and educational resources to empower Indian Country through food sovereignty, agriculture, and economic development.

Tune in to learn about IFAI’s Model Tribal Food and Agriculture Code, which serves as a resource for Tribal governments, providing a comprehensive set of model laws for review, adoption, and implementation. Some of the model codes include protections for traditional foods and seeds, water, food processing and more, and were designed to facilitate agricultural production, support food systems development, and improve health outcomes in Indian Country.

Mary Belle will also discuss the IFAI’s work as the research and policy partner for the Native Farm Bill Coalition — Indian Country’s largest joint agriculture and nutrition policy effort — as well as how Tribal land and farmland loss impacts Indian Country’s overall health and wellness.