Championing Access, Equality, and Sustainability in Every Bite
Food Justice
Empowering communities to create a fair, sustainable, and equitable food system for all.
What is the Food Justice Movement?
“It is certain, in any case, that ignorance allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have.” – James Baldwin
The Food Justice Movement envisions a food system that is inclusive, community-led and participatory, without the exploitation of people, land, animals, or the environment. It identifies and acts to remove the significant structural inequities people face within our current food, economic, political, and social systems based upon their race, class, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity, citizenship status, ability, religion, or community status. Food Justice activists seek to participate in the establishment of healthy, diverse, resilient, and flourishing communities with equitable access to nourishing and culturally appropriate food.
“Whether we and our politicians know it or not, Nature is party to all our deals and decisions, and she has more votes, a longer memory, and a sterner sense of justice than we do.” – Wendell Berry
Food Justice Action is:
- Community-Led & Participatory
- Works to Remove Structural Inequities
- Establishes healthy, diverse, resilient, and flourishing communities
Need Food Assistance? Help is Available
If you or someone you know needs immediate food assistance, help is just a click away. Get connected with nearby food pantries and community meal programs, providing up-to-date information on available resources. Whether you're looking for fresh groceries or a warm meal, you can get support. Everyone deserves access to nourishing food—find support today.
Together We Can Impact the Future of the Food System
For centuries the food system was simple, and almost everyone participated by growing food for themselves, their families, and their neighbours. As the Western world became less agrarian many people lost this vital connection to the land, to local farmers, and to the food they eat. Because of this distance between the “consumer” and those who grow their food, a condition was created that led to the exploitation of the soil, water, farm workers, and especially the poor by powerful individuals and corporations. Now mono-crops, synthetic and reductionist approaches to fertility, concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO), water contamination, widespread dispossession of small family farmers, exploitation of migrant labour, and thousand-mile journeys from farm to plate dominate the food system.
For the good of our health, our planet, and all of our neighbours, we must return to a more sustainable and just food system.
We can act if we:
- Question the Industrial Agricultural Machine that puts profits above the care of people and the environment.
- Personally reengage in the food system by learning about where your food comes from and how it is grown.
- Shorten the food chain by buying local food from local farmers.
- Begin to shift to a more plant-based diet.
- Demand an end to the use of GMOs for the purpose of resistance to insecticides and herbicides.
- Support politicians who will work for a more sustainable and equitable food system for all.
- Fun Fact
DID YOU KNOW?
75 years ago there were nearly 7 million American farmers. Now there are less than 2 million even though the U.S. population has doubled. Over production of commodity crops that are not for human nourishment is harming our health, security, and the ecosystem. According to the Sustainable Iowa Land Trust, transitioning 9% of cropland in the US to production of food for humans would provide enough food to feed the entire country.
Simple Steps for a Healthier Planet
Eat for a Change
Small changes in the way we eat can make a big difference. Support your local farmers, choose organic, and make informed decisions about your food to contribute to a healthier planet for all.
The 3 Rs of Eating for a Better Planet
- REDUCE: Reduce our consumption of meat, dairy, eggs, and other animal-based products.
- REPLACE: Replace animal-based foods in our diet with plant-based foods.
- REFINE: Refine any animal products we do consume by avoiding foods from factory farms. (From Food is the Solution, 20)
“Learn the origins of the food you buy, and buy the food that is produced closest to your home.” – Wendell Berry
It is estimated that most meals in the United States travel an average of 1,500 miles from the farm to your plate. When you purchase produce directly from your local farmer, you get the freshest produce possible, support the local economy, dramatically reduce the use of fossil fuels in transport, generate fewer greenhouse gases, and by shortening the food chain you help reduce the waste often associated with conventional food distribution, warehousing, and merchandising.
- Organic produce is grown in living soil to maximize nutrition.
- Organic produce contains no synthetic pesticides or fertilizers.
- Organic food considers the broader ecosystem impacts.
- Organic farming is a baseline, not the best we can do.
- Organically raised animals are not given preventative antibiotics, growth hormones, or fed animal byproducts.
- Organic practices reduce public health risks to farm workers by minimizing their exposure to toxic and persistent chemicals on the farm.
