Nourish Fund Launches to Support Equity-Deserving Urban Farmers and Food Entrepreneurs in Toronto
A new chapter in Toronto’s food justice movement is taking root. Today, the Fair Finance Fund and its equity-focused subsidiary, Inclusive Prosperity, are proud to announce the launch of the Nourish Fund—a community-driven finance initiative that empowers urban farmers, food processors, and social enterprises from equity-deserving communities with the financial tools they need to thrive.
With a focus on equity-deserving communities, the Nourish Fund is designed to dismantle long-standing barriers to capital in the urban food sector. By providing tailored, flexible loans to applicants often excluded from traditional financing, the Fund fosters environmental stewardship, local food sovereignty, and financial equity—all while nourishing communities across Toronto.
“We believe that the people growing and preparing food in our city should have the resources to do so with dignity and sustainability,” says Michelle Chin-Dawe, Nourish Fund Coordinator. “The Nourish Fund is about more than finance—it’s about transforming who gets to participate in and benefit from the food system.”
Eligible applicants include urban farmers, local food processors, and early-stage social enterprises with at least two years of business activity. The Fund is especially committed to supporting racialized, Indigenous, and newcomer-led businesses—organizations that are often already addressing food insecurity and economic exclusion on the ground.
Rooted in values of food justice and community care, the Nourish Fund builds on the proven success of the Fair Finance Fund’s work across Ontario’s regional food systems. It represents a new, place-based solution to create sustainable, inclusive urban economies through food.
Nourish Fund currently offers three loan products for growers and producers of varying enterprise sizes and business development stages. Loans are available from as low as $1,000 for small-scale growers and businesses, all the way up to $100,000 for established enterprises looking to expand or grow, as well as loans designed for non-profit initiatives operating in Scarborough’s food and farm communities. For more details about loan specifics, including eligibility criteria, visit www.fairfinancefund.org/nourish-fund.
Applications are now open. For more information or to apply, visit www.fairfinancefund.org/nourish-fund
About the Nourish Fund
The Nourish Fund is a program of Inclusive Prosperity, a subsidiary of the Fair Finance Fund. It offers accessible financing and support to urban farmers and food entrepreneurs from equity-deserving communities, especially in Toronto, promoting a more just, resilient, and localized food system.
