<p>While many would agree that equity must be central to efforts to transform food systems, doing this in practice can be more challenging. In this paper, we look to those directly working on equity issues in urban food systems in one Canadian and twelve United States (U.S.) cities to understand the opportunities and the continuing barriers to bringing equity into practice while promoting food systems transformation. We focus on three dimensions of equity in our analysis: recognitional, procedural, and distributive equity. Semi-structured interviews (<i>n</i> = 20) were conducted with officials in city government and/or on food policy councils across 13 Canadian and US cities or counties that had explicitly committed to food systems transformation. We thematically analyzed the interviews to identify barriers to implementing and operationalizing equity in food systems and related policies. Participants identified four interrelated barriers in the work of bringing about more equitable food systems transformation, namely (1) the unintended consequences of the turn to equity, including political backlash to the concept of equity; (2) barriers in navigating rules, regulations, and bureaucracies for equitable procurement and grants that pose particular challenges to small business and business owned by women and minorities; (3) persistent challenges to equity-related food systems data collection and use; and (4) insufficient budget and human resources being earmarked for equity-related values. These findings can contribute to recognitional, procedural, and distributive equity-centred food systems policymaking and engagement by identifying challenges to realizing equitable values. We recommend support for community and stakeholder engagement, support for new metrics and equity-related data collection, and earmarked funding for equity-related goals.</p>