1. Rashid Nuri had a powerful “burning bush” revelation while a student at Harvard. The experience set him on a global food odyssey, managing agricultural operations throughout the U.S. and in 35 countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa.One of Rashid’s earliest work experiences in agriculture was as the Director of Farm Operations for the Salaam Agricultural Systems in Bronwood, Georgia, owned by the Nation of Islam. He managed 13,000 acres of land in Georgia and Alabama, valued at $20 million. Rashid also directed production of commodity and vegetable crops, poultry, dairy, beef, horses and bees. His work also included developing agricultural properties, defining markets and distribution patterns, maintaining budgetary control, reviewing and evaluating farm operations, selecting personnel, brokering land sales and negotiating contracts.

Rashid’s global farming service began with his position as Regional Investment Manager for Cargill in Singapore, preparing general business plans for the region and producing more than $500 million in revenues. He introduced computerized feed formulation to Southeast Asia regions that improved efficiency, lowered overhead and increased revenues. Rashid also served in Bangladesh, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and South Korea. He then became Managing Director for Cargill Nigeria Limited and Cargill Ventures Limited in Lagos, Nigeria, where he researched and managed the company’s entry to the Nigerian marketplace for corn, wheat, sorghum, cottonseed, cotton lint, palm kernel cake, cocoa, rubber and sugar. He also supervised trading and warehousing from start-up through the generation of more than $50 million in revenues.

During the Clinton Administration, Rashid served at USDA as Deputy Vice-President for the Commodity Credit Corporation and Deputy Administrator for the Farm Service Agency and Foreign Agriculture Service. He formulated policy for administrative operations affecting some 34,000 employees in more than 3,000 sites. In addition, he was directly responsible for a workforce of 2,200 employees. His duties included maintaining accounting, financial and claims system activities for yearly outlays ranging from $18-24 billion, including budget analyses, forecasts, and tracking of administrative expenses, appropriated funds, corporate funds and funds allocated from other sources.

During his years at USDA, Rashid saw—up close—the abuses and inefficiencies of Big Ag. Under the leadership of Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy, Rashid commissioned the Miller Report, which chronicled the role of Big Ag and the U.S. Government in the century-long destruction of Black Farmers. Unfortunately, the report was buried, and Rashid was fired.  Four years later, the truths contained in the Miller Report reached the courtroom in the landmark Pigford class action lawsuit against the USDA, in which Black farmers detailed how the agency consistently worked against the progress and success of Black farmers. The case was ultimately settled in 2010 for $1.25 billion, a fraction of the damage endured by Black farmers and their families.

After his experience at the USDA, Rashid’s vision of community food sovereignty and food equity emerged with total clarity. He brought that vision to Atlanta in 2006, founding Truly Living Well Center for Natural Urban Agriculture (TLW). TLW became Atlanta’s premier urban agricultural organization, growing tons of chemical-free, nutritious food, providing jobs and educating communities about food, nutrition and self-sufficiency.

As CEO of The Nuri Group, Rashid is working to expand equitable access to the tools for success in agriculture through education, funding, partnerships and appropriate regulations. Rashid is the author of Growing Out Loud: Journey of a Food Revolutionary, which chronicles his journeys and the failing state of the food supply. Growing Out Loud offers timely and valuable guidance for the new food movement.

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