Since its launch in 2023, Food City by Civic City has worked to transform St. Louis’s food system into one that is equitable, sustainable, and community-led. Guided by the belief that those most affected by food system challenges must shape the solutions, we have centered the leadership, knowledge, and lived experiences of residents, farmers, food workers, advocates, and local businesses.

Our approach begins with deep listening—conducting citywide surveys, hosting neighborhood dialogues, convening think tanks, and meeting directly with farmers, grocers, and community organizations. We have gathered and synthesized more than 2,000 insights from across the food ecosystem, ensuring the perspectives of historically underrepresented communities are embedded at every stage of decision-making.

Through this process, we co-created the Food For All Platform—a first-of-its-kind, community-authored roadmap designed to bridge the gap between grassroots priorities and institutional action. Built around six strategic pillars, the platform aligns policy to remove systemic barriers, practice to strengthen and replicate community-driven solutions, and partnership to unite government, philanthropy, business, and residents in a shared vision for change.

Food City now serves as a civic infrastructure hub, connecting stakeholders, mobilizing resources, and facilitating cross-sector collaboration to turn the Food For All Platform into measurable action. From influencing municipal policy to directing funding toward grassroots leaders, we are creating the conditions for a just, resilient, and thriving food future—one where healthy, culturally relevant food is a right, not a privilege, and where the benefits of a strong local food economy are shared by all.