I attended Day 2 of the "Food + Justice = Democracy" Conference yesterday in Mpls, hosted by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP). The sessions on Day 2 offered testimonies and analyses of food/agriculture practices by Diasporic Africans in MN and in Detroit; by local Hmong farmers ("old" and "new" generation)and farmer-advocates; and by Latino farmers who are also activists. Here are some indexical notes from my notes, toward launching the "Food Justice" section of this blog:
o training in gardening and farming is also training in food security and justice
o "I am because we are..."
o consider the legacy of sugar...sugar cane plantations...sugar...
o food is movement in the belly...building (a) movement in the belly (of the beast)...
o food is personal...food justice is personal (and the personal is always political)
o "there is a problem of injustice in seeing poor people only as consumers and never as producers"
o trauma...
o "Every farmer wants their 10'x12', their 15'x20' -- but to get that you need start-up"; most immigrant farmers who sell at farmers' markets lease the land, and lose those leases regularly (whimsically...)
A Day Later I reflect: "food insecurity" refers to the lived situation of not knowing if food will be available...the term refers of course to unrelieved hunger as well as intermittent hunger...it also refers to procurement, and the lack of agency that millions experience in the procurement of food. "Insecurity" also opens a channel into the emotional experience of not having enough...the anxiety, desperation, shame, fear, that attend, perhaps especially for adults if children are involved and going hungry.
Food is love, yes; food is personal. Both statements were made yesterday. Food and the sharing of food, the guarantee of food, is deeply, urgently, a justice issue.
Food justice is such a complicated issue. I agree with Beth's comments that training in gardening and farming gives the necessary tools for the socially marginalized group to utilize as a way to sustain their lives, and thus achieve the goal of food justice. However, I once read an article in my Urban Ecology class about the criticism of current food movement in the United States. The author pointed out that most of the food justice movements was initiated by the white, thinking of themselves as the ultimate savior for these African Americans who could not even start the movement on their own. The white thought that the African Americans need to grow their own foods, so that they could sustain themselves. But after the author interviewed several African American communities in poor neighborhoods, she realized that what they really need is good access to grocery store that offers affordable and healthy foods. They want to have equal access to food as the white does. One thing strikes me the most in the reading is that, some children complain that they are just providing free labor for those non-profit organizations to grow those foods, which are then sold to other wealthier customers for revenue. They don't know what they are planting, and why they should be planting. I think food access and justice are very much closely related, and it was very shocking to realize how "racism" can also be unconsciously rooted in those so-called justice movements.
I am fairly confused and bewildered about food, justice, and the economics of environmentally sound practices. I live in an area of the country where knowing the name of the farm, or of the river, or of the fisherman, who brings your food to the market is hip, chic, and ethical to boot---but, this narrativizing and demystification of where food comes from, how it is grown, and by whom it is harvested, tends to also come at a higher price---even the farmer's markets charge steep rents to sell your wares at a stall. Related: local public radio ran a story last week about local fish markets, and why the same type of fish costs so much more or less at this or that market; it came down to higher prices=knowledge of the provenance of the fish...so the cheaper fish was sold by sales folks who couldn't tell you where it came from, and the pricey fish was (predictably) sold by Whole Foods, a company based in Texas but who apparently knows local ins-and-outs better than smaller or non-corporate companies. It's a cliche issue by now, I know: access to sustainable food resources is granted to the wealthy, and so on...ugh.
Food safety is a subset of food justice. Although there were a lot of food safety problems in China, the most shocking one for me was the Chinese Milk Scandal in 2008. Melamine, a type of chemical compound used for producing plastics and fertilizers, was added to infant milk formula and other food materials for "increasing" the so-called protein content. However, 300,000 victims were affected, and 6 babies died from kidney failure. I was very sad and furious to see those images of new-born babies dying from pain in the news. I remember that my family stopped drinking milk or having any dairy products for over a year, just to make sure we wouldn't get affected. But what about those innocent infants? Then suddenly, the price of imported milk powder got skyrocketed, and the shops ran out of stocks. Of course, only wealthy families would be able to afford those milk products imported from overseas. This whole scandal had so much to do with political corruption, and those companies were lightly punished. The ironic thing was that, when people questioned about the safety of dairy products that the international community consumed during Beijing Olympic Games, the Chinese government said that they took very "special quality management measures aimed at food supply for the Games." So everything was safe for the international communities to consume because it was from a different food supply. The first impression I had after hearing this was that, yeah, in Chinese government's opinion, Chinese people's lives worth nothing as compared to those foreigners.
(To read more about food safety issues in China, check out this link: http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/5084-Food-in-China-a-chemical-age)
I offer a different perspective on food justice, indeed a very personal one.
I'm a celiac, meaning I can't eat gluten, a protein found in wheat. My body is unable to process gluten in the same way that most people's bodies do. Goodbye, "normal" bread, pastries, pizza, pancakes, waffles, desserts. Goodbye, bagels, oatmeal, mozzarella sticks, chicken tenders, fried fish, fried chicken, fried anything. Goodbye, sushi, couscous, pasta, ice cream cones, cookie dough ice cream, cookies n' cream ice cream, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Honey Nut Cheerios, and so much more.
This weekend, my brother said to me, "I'm judging you because you can't eat gluten." I scoffed at him, brushing aside his comment as just another "one of those" comments my brother makes to push my buttons. He pushes them well and often. And yet, it wasn't so easy to let it go. Other family members and friends have asked me when they see me again, "Oh, are you still not eating gluten? How is that going for you?" As if being celiac is the new vegetarian, and furthermore, as if being celiac is a choice. Yes, I choose not to eat gluten; but I don't choose to have celiac's disease.
I'm fortunate that the world and food industries are rapidly learning about and creating alternative solutions (i.e., food) for gluten-free diners. However, there still remains to be little awareness of the condition, and some restaurants, school cafeterias, bakeries, grocery stores, and religious organizations continue not to provide adequate and equitable gluten-free food options for their customers and patrons. Roman Catholic doctrine states that for a valid Eucharist, the bread to be distributed in the service must be made from wheat. My relationship with religion is complicated, but regardless, I am unable to fully participate in Catholic worship, because of my body and because of religious doctrine, a doctrine that more or less indicates that my body is unfit or unsuitable to practice my faith.
So for me, fighting for increased awareness of celiacs disease and for equitable (and delicious) food options for celiacs is not only a food justice issue, it's also a body justice issue.
After performing as Capability Brown in The Inland Sea last year, I did a lot of research into landscapes and yards. I live in Suburbia, where every single house is accompanied by both a front and a back yard. The yard is a practice taken from the British, where having a large piece of unused land filled only with turf grass isn't nearly as crazy since it rains constantly. Meanwhile, in the United States, we use 40 billion gallons of potable water every day to water our lawns (about 30% of all of the drinking water in the US), as well as 70 million pounds of pesticides every year to maintain this practice. Rather than plant vegetable gardens, we maintain the status quo because we don't want our neighbors to get mad at us and we don't want our property value to decrease. I don't know if I can make a point with these facts and figures because I am doing absolutely nothing to change this problem.
When dealing with issues of food justice, I am always hyper-sensitive of the years I spent struggling with a borderline eating disorder. It's a matter of privilege to be able to deprive your body of food, or to have enough food to eat until you make yourself purge it. Why should I, a white girl growing up in the upper-class suburbs, misuse the food control I was fortunate enough to have just because I was too insecure?
I attended Day 2 of the "Food + Justice = Democracy" Conference yesterday in Mpls, hosted by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP). The sessions on Day 2 offered testimonies and analyses of food/agriculture practices by Diasporic Africans in MN and in Detroit; by local Hmong farmers ("old" and "new" generation)and farmer-advocates; and by Latino farmers who are also activists. Here are some indexical notes from my notes, toward launching the "Food Justice" section of this blog:
ReplyDeleteo training in gardening and farming is also training in food security and justice
o "I am because we are..."
o consider the legacy of sugar...sugar cane plantations...sugar...
o food is movement in the belly...building (a) movement in the belly (of the beast)...
o food is personal...food justice is personal (and the personal is always political)
o "there is a problem of injustice in seeing poor people only as consumers and never as producers"
o trauma...
o "Every farmer wants their 10'x12', their 15'x20' -- but to get that you need start-up"; most immigrant farmers who sell at farmers' markets lease the land, and lose those leases regularly (whimsically...)
A Day Later I reflect: "food insecurity" refers to the lived situation of not knowing if food will be available...the term refers of course to unrelieved hunger as well as intermittent hunger...it also refers to procurement, and the lack of agency that millions experience in the procurement of food. "Insecurity" also opens a channel into the emotional experience of not having enough...the anxiety, desperation, shame, fear, that attend, perhaps especially for adults if children are involved and going hungry.
Food is love, yes; food is personal. Both statements were made yesterday. Food and the sharing of food, the guarantee of food, is deeply, urgently, a justice issue.
Food justice and water rights should be talked about in the same breath.
ReplyDeleteFood justice is such a complicated issue. I agree with Beth's comments that training in gardening and farming gives the necessary tools for the socially marginalized group to utilize as a way to sustain their lives, and thus achieve the goal of food justice. However, I once read an article in my Urban Ecology class about the criticism of current food movement in the United States. The author pointed out that most of the food justice movements was initiated by the white, thinking of themselves as the ultimate savior for these African Americans who could not even start the movement on their own. The white thought that the African Americans need to grow their own foods, so that they could sustain themselves. But after the author interviewed several African American communities in poor neighborhoods, she realized that what they really need is good access to grocery store that offers affordable and healthy foods. They want to have equal access to food as the white does. One thing strikes me the most in the reading is that, some children complain that they are just providing free labor for those non-profit organizations to grow those foods, which are then sold to other wealthier customers for revenue. They don't know what they are planting, and why they should be planting. I think food access and justice are very much closely related, and it was very shocking to realize how "racism" can also be unconsciously rooted in those so-called justice movements.
ReplyDeleteI am fairly confused and bewildered about food, justice, and the economics of environmentally sound practices. I live in an area of the country where knowing the name of the farm, or of the river, or of the fisherman, who brings your food to the market is hip, chic, and ethical to boot---but, this narrativizing and demystification of where food comes from, how it is grown, and by whom it is harvested, tends to also come at a higher price---even the farmer's markets charge steep rents to sell your wares at a stall. Related: local public radio ran a story last week about local fish markets, and why the same type of fish costs so much more or less at this or that market; it came down to higher prices=knowledge of the provenance of the fish...so the cheaper fish was sold by sales folks who couldn't tell you where it came from, and the pricey fish was (predictably) sold by Whole Foods, a company based in Texas but who apparently knows local ins-and-outs better than smaller or non-corporate companies. It's a cliche issue by now, I know: access to sustainable food resources is granted to the wealthy, and so on...ugh.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nationofchange.org/new-study-confirms-gmo-crops-causing-more-pesticide-use-superweeds-1349529031
ReplyDeleteFood safety is a subset of food justice. Although there were a lot of food safety problems in China, the most shocking one for me was the Chinese Milk Scandal in 2008. Melamine, a type of chemical compound used for producing plastics and fertilizers, was added to infant milk formula and other food materials for "increasing" the so-called protein content. However, 300,000 victims were affected, and 6 babies died from kidney failure. I was very sad and furious to see those images of new-born babies dying from pain in the news. I remember that my family stopped drinking milk or having any dairy products for over a year, just to make sure we wouldn't get affected. But what about those innocent infants? Then suddenly, the price of imported milk powder got skyrocketed, and the shops ran out of stocks. Of course, only wealthy families would be able to afford those milk products imported from overseas. This whole scandal had so much to do with political corruption, and those companies were lightly punished. The ironic thing was that, when people questioned about the safety of dairy products that the international community consumed during Beijing Olympic Games, the Chinese government said that they took very "special quality management measures aimed at food supply for the Games." So everything was safe for the international communities to consume because it was from a different food supply. The first impression I had after hearing this was that, yeah, in Chinese government's opinion, Chinese people's lives worth nothing as compared to those foreigners.
ReplyDelete(To read more about food safety issues in China, check out this link: http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/5084-Food-in-China-a-chemical-age)
I offer a different perspective on food justice, indeed a very personal one.
ReplyDeleteI'm a celiac, meaning I can't eat gluten, a protein found in wheat. My body is unable to process gluten in the same way that most people's bodies do. Goodbye, "normal" bread, pastries, pizza, pancakes, waffles, desserts. Goodbye, bagels, oatmeal, mozzarella sticks, chicken tenders, fried fish, fried chicken, fried anything. Goodbye, sushi, couscous, pasta, ice cream cones, cookie dough ice cream, cookies n' cream ice cream, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Honey Nut Cheerios, and so much more.
This weekend, my brother said to me, "I'm judging you because you can't eat gluten." I scoffed at him, brushing aside his comment as just another "one of those" comments my brother makes to push my buttons. He pushes them well and often. And yet, it wasn't so easy to let it go. Other family members and friends have asked me when they see me again, "Oh, are you still not eating gluten? How is that going for you?" As if being celiac is the new vegetarian, and furthermore, as if being celiac is a choice. Yes, I choose not to eat gluten; but I don't choose to have celiac's disease.
I'm fortunate that the world and food industries are rapidly learning about and creating alternative solutions (i.e., food) for gluten-free diners. However, there still remains to be little awareness of the condition, and some restaurants, school cafeterias, bakeries, grocery stores, and religious organizations continue not to provide adequate and equitable gluten-free food options for their customers and patrons. Roman Catholic doctrine states that for a valid Eucharist, the bread to be distributed in the service must be made from wheat. My relationship with religion is complicated, but regardless, I am unable to fully participate in Catholic worship, because of my body and because of religious doctrine, a doctrine that more or less indicates that my body is unfit or unsuitable to practice my faith.
So for me, fighting for increased awareness of celiacs disease and for equitable (and delicious) food options for celiacs is not only a food justice issue, it's also a body justice issue.
After performing as Capability Brown in The Inland Sea last year, I did a lot of research into landscapes and yards. I live in Suburbia, where every single house is accompanied by both a front and a back yard. The yard is a practice taken from the British, where having a large piece of unused land filled only with turf grass isn't nearly as crazy since it rains constantly. Meanwhile, in the United States, we use 40 billion gallons of potable water every day to water our lawns (about 30% of all of the drinking water in the US), as well as 70 million pounds of pesticides every year to maintain this practice. Rather than plant vegetable gardens, we maintain the status quo because we don't want our neighbors to get mad at us and we don't want our property value to decrease. I don't know if I can make a point with these facts and figures because I am doing absolutely nothing to change this problem.
ReplyDeleteWhen dealing with issues of food justice, I am always hyper-sensitive of the years I spent struggling with a borderline eating disorder. It's a matter of privilege to be able to deprive your body of food, or to have enough food to eat until you make yourself purge it. Why should I, a white girl growing up in the upper-class suburbs, misuse the food control I was fortunate enough to have just because I was too insecure?
ReplyDelete