THE general misconception is that the world lacks food for many people. That is not true. In fact, we can feed the world’s population 1.5 times the global population with the excess amount of food being produced.
With this in mind, we still have people across the globe hungry, wondering where their next meal will come from daily. I addressed the concept of “Food Insecurity” last week and explained the importance of understanding what it is. However, as we dive deeper into addressing No Poverty and Food for all we should also be able to speak on the most important aspect of it.
Food Justice is the right to grow, sell and eat healthy or nutritional food.
Food Justice is a movement dedicated specifically to the advocacy and awareness of universal access to nutrition and nutritional food, as well as access to affordable food and culturally appropriate food. As human beings, we have rights that should be able to protect us. Regarding the right to health, all human beings should be able to access healthy food without fear or discrimination.
Unfortunately, this is not always the case. People cannot access quality food because they simply can’t afford it. People are unable to access quality food because of their race or origin due to centuries of oppression. People cannot afford healthy food because they do not have access to land or affordable farming land. These and many more realities can be described as the structural challenges and systemic obstacles that prevent people from accessing quality and healthy food.
Food Justice seeks to address these barriers because access to healthy food is a human right. The sad realities of good insecurity include people buying the cheapest food options, such as fast food or lower-quality groceries, because of their lack of finances. This lack of finances can be tracked to their origins or social group because of the financial divide among social groups. With that in mind, people are forced to buy unhealthy options, which makes them unhealthy citizens.
In the United States of America, many studies proved that people of colour are more prone to developing obesity and diabetes than that of their European counterparts.
This is why Food Justice is important. It tackles food insecurity and challenges to access at the root level. If this social movement is new to you, then I would advise you to read more on its history and significance and what its purpose can mean for us in Guyana. Why is it that some social groups eat better than others? What cultural factors are to be considered? How do we bridge the gap between the access to healthier food options for all Guyanese? These are all questions you can consider if you’d like to explore this topic further to create impact.
You can contribute to the global Food Justice movement by advocating for better access to healthier foods for all in your communities. You can create a community food pantry for the less fortunate, volunteer at a soup kitchen to serve hot meals or advocate for policy reform regarding land access for farmers. There are currently three main levels to Food Justice and they include: Black/Coloured Led Food Justice, Food Worker Justice and Indigenous Food Justice. Black and Indigenous Food Justice addresses the intersection of racial discrimination and food insecurity, while Food Workers Justice focuses on the fair treatment and payment of workers in the food industry.
At the end of the day, I do hope that you realise that food is a necessity and a human right. It is not a luxury or a privilege. Everyone should be able to access healthy, clean and affordable food—regardless of who they are.
