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According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in 2021, nearly 20% of Black individuals lived in food-insecure households. Additionally, Latinos were 2.5 times more likely to experience food insecurity than white individuals, with one in six Hispanic individuals experiencing food insecurity. One potential solution to improving food security is through food justice.
I was honored to speak with Karen Washington, a farmer, food justice advocate, and James Beard award winner. During our discussion, we covered many aspects of food justice, from the definition of food justice to the causes and potential solutions. Please see the interview HERE.
Food justice is a movement that addresses the systemic inequalities and injustices within the food system and aims to ensure everyone has equal access to healthy and culturally appropriate food. Food justice addresses food insecurity, diet-related health problems, and the social impact of food production and distribution. According to Ms. Washington, food justice is “transforming the food system to eliminate the disparities that we see.” Food justice is an active movement helping to dismantle social injustices.
Ms. Washington discussed multiple contributors to food justice in the United States. Several causes of food injustice include poverty, lack of access to transportation and healthy food options, limited nutrition education, and discriminatory practices. Additionally, systemic issues such as racism, classism, and lack of government support for low-income communities can contribute to food injustice. Finally, climate change and biodiversity loss can also affect food systems and exacerbate food insecurity.
Future generations can help improve food justice conditions in several ways:
During our interview, Ms. Washington mentioned the importance of the Farm Bill as an essential initiative to help promote food justice. The Farm Bill is a comprehensive piece of legislation passed by Congress every five years and sets federal agriculture and food policy for the United States. It includes several programs and initiatives that can affect food justice issues. Some examples include:
Rehttps://youtu.be/veHEkx-ZVx0ferences
Coleman-Jensen, A., Rabbitt, M. P., Gregory, C. A., & Singh, A. (2022, September). Household Food Security in the United States in 2021. Retrieved from [https://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/pub-details/?pubid=104655].
“Latino Hunger Facts”(2021). Feeding America. Retrieved from https://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/latino-hunger-facts
“Understanding Food Justice: 5 Ways to Fight Food Inequality” (2021, June 7). Written by MasterClass. Retrieved from [https://www.masterclass.com/articles/food-justice-explained].
Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, Pub. L. 115-334, 132 Stat. 4490 (2018).