What is Food Justice?

        Food Justice is a broad term that is used throughout the community to refer to many different ideas. One could say it refers to a person's right to grow their own food. Another could say it refers to everyone having healthy foods. While both of these are correct, we believe Food Justice refers to a community's ability to easily access healthy, sustainable foods that are high in nutritious value. Communities that lack access to these foods are referred to as Food Deserts. This concept is one of the guiding tenants of our Alternative Break trip to Raleigh.
     

       

         Food Justice should not be confused with Food Security. The later simply refers to a person's ability to access and afford food. Food Security seeks to combat the physical state of hunger. It is possible for an individual to be food secure, but not be the benefit of Food Justice. For example, a family that lives in a rural community without access to fresh foods may sustain themselves on frozen and processed meals, but it is likely they are not getting their full nutritional balance.

        It is crucial to note that Food Security is still an incredibly important issue. It is much better to have any food than none at all. However, we believe that access to quality and nutritious foods should be the right of all people. We recognize that inadequate access is not a supply issue, but rather an issue created by lack of political and social will to provide quality foods to everyone. This is not out of malign intention, but largely due to a lack of exposure to the problem. Of course, most people realize extreme hunger exists. Still, very few think about the downstream impact of only providing vulnerable individuals unhealthy and cheap foods.
 

        That's where our trip comes in! Urban communities- like Raleigh- are often plagued by inadequate access to healthy foods. That's why our group will be working in a community garden in Raleigh as well as a garden at Highland UMC. We will also be working with other organizations that are aimed at ending food insecurity, but are also committed to doing so in a just way. We hope that this experience will show our participants more than just the issue, but the solutions as well. Check out the link below to learn more about Food Security and Justice. As always, stay tuned for more updates from Food Security and Justice 2017!

http://www.sustainabletable.org/280/food-security-food-access