“The Food Justice Movement works to ensure universal access to nutritious, affordable, and culturally-appropriate food for all, while advocating for the well-being and safety of those involved in the food production process” (Finley, Understanding Food Justice). There can be no food justice without acknowledging that the low-income earners, as well as people of color, are most greatly impacted by the issues  of unfair distribution, health risks and ignorance regarding food justice.

“Nationally, if we look at the rate of food insecurity in America, African-American households are more than double that of white households— compared with one in ten whites and one in eight Americans overall” (FoodPrint, Food Justice). This statistical ratio is not just limited to America but is very similar all around the world, making it a global issue that must be paid attention to and resolved. This disparity roots from systematic bias and discriminatory practices that have obstructed opportunities for Black people in the U.S., making their communities more vulnerable to poor access to food resources and diet-related illness. Access to hygienic, healthy, nutritional food is a basic human necessity and right. But when communities are deprived of that, the population is prevented from functioning to its full capacity.

Many organizations have come forward to lessen the varying distribution of food all over the globe, trying to help everyone have equal access to nutritious, affordable, healthy food. For instance, the Black Panther Party introduced breakfast programs in the 1960s that distributed free breakfasts to 20,000 children in 19 cities. Community gardens were conducted, which provided resources to communities suffering from high poverty rates to grow their own vegetables and fruits in a sustainable way. Governments take an initiative to encourage food co-ops (which are much like farmer’s markets) to promote community engagement and sustainability that make food accessibility in the long run much easier. Moreover, many places have actively participated in opening food banks in rural communities that are detached and lack proper access to food, in order to provide them with some additional assistance. 

To contribute to paving the path towards an inclusive future with food justice, each of us can do our part and give back to the community in several simple easy ways. Some of the methods are; actively supporting food justice organizations, supporting food and farm projects led by people of color, and learning more about the history that links racial injustice with the food system.

By Samia Chowdhury

WORK CITED:

“Food Justice.” Food Secure Canada, 30 Sept. 2020, https://foodsecurecanada.org/community-networks/food-justice. 

“Food Justice.” FoodPrint, 11 Mar. 2021, https://foodprint.org/issues/food-justice/. 

“Food Justice.” UFCW Canada – Canada’s Private Sector Union, https://www.ufcw.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=32010&Itemid=2383&lang=en. 

MasterClass. “Understanding Food Justice: 5 Ways to Fight Food Inequality – 2022.” MasterClass, MasterClass, 21 Jan. 2021, https://www.masterclass.com/articles/food-justice-explained#5-resources-to-help-fight-food-inequality. 

“Achieving Food Security with Solar Energy.” Little Sun, 23 July 2021, https://littlesun.org/programs/food-security/?gclid=Cj0KCQiA95aRBhCsARIsAC2xvfzlvlM7Nks1C7iOK2_xXBg7pZ3I1nmqRc1zutJWpgvERn_DZ_4pF84aAun7EALw_wcB. 

“World Hunger: Key Facts and Statistics 2021.” Action Against Hunger, 19 July 2021, https://www.actionagainsthunger.org/world-hunger-facts-statistics#:~:text=Key%20facts%20about%20global%20hunger%20today&text=%5B4%5D%20After%20steadily%20declining%20for,and%20the%20COVID%2D19%20pandemic. 

“Hunger Hits Black Communities Harder.” Feeding America, https://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/african-american#:~:text=The%20Black%20community%20consistently%20faces,the%20rate%20of%20white%20households.