Falls Church, VA – Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund (FTCLDF) is pleased to announce the launch of its sister organization, Food of Choice, a 501(c)(3)* nonprofit dedicated to advancing food freedom through education, empowerment, and strategic public-interest litigation. 

While FTCLDF, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization, provides direct legal representation and advocates for better food policies, Food of Choice (FOC) will broaden the reach of this mission.

Food of Choice will...   

• Educate: FOC will create accessible resources to help individuals understand their food rights and navigate complex food laws.   

• Defend: FOC will advance food freedom through strategic public-interest litigation that benefits the wider food and farming community.   

• Empower: FOC will work to increase consumer autonomy over food choices, connecting people with the tools and information needed to build resilient local food systems and communities.   

“All too often, federal, state, and local regulations favor large corporate-owned food producers, creating barriers for small and mid-sized producers,” said Alexia Kulwiec, president of the board of directors for Food of Choice.

"Meanwhile, demand for local food continues to grow, and consumers are becoming more active and knowledgeable participants in their local food systems. Yet our outdated regulations simultaneously inhibit independent producers and limit consumer choice,” said Kulwiec. 

U.S. groceries are controlled by four transnational corporations. Likewise, the U.S. supply of beef, pork, and poultry are controlled by a handful of corporate players, limiting consumers’ options and driving up prices. Consolidation is exacerbated by the lack of scale-appropriate regulations, which discourages the growth of small- and mid-sized producers who could otherwise expand food options for consumers. 

Through education and public-interest litigation, Food of Choice seeks to remove regulatory barriers and government overreach, ensuring everyone has the freedom to make informed choices about the food they grow, raise, sell, share, purchase, and consume. 

“We launched Food of Choice to expand opportunity for producers and empower consumers to build food systems that work for them,” concluded Kulwiec. 

For more information about Food of Choice, visit foodofchoice.org. 

*Food of Choice, Inc. has filed for recognition as a Section 501 (c)(3) organization under the Internal Revenue Code.