Department or Program

Environmental Studies

Abstract

This project examines the role of Latine mutual aid organizations in advancing food justice during times of crisis. Through a community-engaged research approach, this project utilized participant observation with Presente! Maine and semi-structured interviews with mutual aid organizations across the United States to explore how communities respond to overlapping social, political, and environmental crises. The research is grounded in theoretical frameworks of food justice, mutual aid, and the polycrisis. Findings show that food justice, as defined by community organizations, is not only about access to food but also incorporates autonomy, dignity, and self-reliance. In this way, mutual aid is a form of resistance rooted in reciprocity, and also a cultural survival strategy. Food is a key mechanism of cultural continuity, identity, and connection to land, especially for displaced migrant populations such as many of the Latine communities centered in this study. This project suggests that mutual aid fosters community resilience by centering sovereignty in times of acute and ongoing crisis. Through reliance on coalitions, dynamic programming, and care, mutual aid networks provide more than basic survival to support cultural prosperity.

Level of Access

Restricted: Campus/Bates Community Only Access

First Advisor

Jamie Haverkamp

Second Advisor

Justin Baumann

Date of Graduation

5-2026

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Number of Pages

115

Community Engagement

1

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