The Food Literacy Institute (FLI) is an open learning community based on the popular education model, which values the potential of everyday people to share knowledge and skills with one another as friends and neighbors. FLI is a project of the "Fertile Crescent" (affiliated with the Food Commons Atlanta) and is a local economy development initiative intended to primarily benefit neighborhoods within South-West Atlanta. 

The Fertile Crescent is a neighborhood-scale community food system designed to implement the three main components of the Food Commons model: a Food Commons Trust, a Community Food Fund (or Financial Arm), and a Food Commons Hub. These components are all integrated to create a local food system where communities are engaged from the farm to the table—growing, aggregating, and marketing their own products. This contributes to the phenomena known as “food sovereignty”. The Fertile Crescent creates opportunities 
for economic growth through urban food enterprises, community revitalization, and commercial infrastructure development resulting in increased food security for families living in South-West Atlanta. Most importantly, the Fertile Crescent provides an opportunity for community engagement, social advancement, and economic empowerment for citizens who are dedicated to improving the lifestyle of themselves and their families
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With sponsorship from Atlanta Food & Farm LLC and the Georgia Department of Public Health, FLI is launching three pilot workshops in March 2014 that cover several topics in food and nutrition. Future FLI classes, seminars, or workshops will be delivered in a multi-site campus format, located at various partner sites like churches or community centers throughout the Fertile Crescent area. Both a community education and workforce development initiative, the FLI will offer ongoing contract employment opportunities to residents as instructors who possess food related knowledge or horticultural skills to share with neighbors.