Food Justice Resources:
We celebrated in 2013 the coming of spring with "11 Days for Food Justice," February 21 - March 3, 2013. Multiple community events explored where food comes from and all the steps and missteps it takes to get to our table. The following resources provide a sampling of information about food justice.
-- Feeding Illinois
"Feeding Illinois is the state food bank association. We work with eight food banks that serve every county in Illinois through a vast network of partners. The number of those who are hungry in Illinois can be staggering, and Feeding Illinois members play a critical role in responding to this need. Over 1.4 million people in the state have been assisted by our network."
-- Good Magazine, November 21, 2012: "Real Food Justice: From Black Panther Party Roots to Hip Hop Activism, Foodies with Fists"
-- Cultural Geographies, 2008: "Bringing good food to others: investigating the subjects of alternative food practice," by Julie Guthman
-- Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, October 23, 2012: "Moving ahead on food justice," by LaDonna Redmond
-- "The Pursuit of Justice" TED talk by Bryan Stevenson, founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, fighting poverty and challenging racial discrimination in the criminal justice system.
Why food justice? As the Nonviolent Carbondale coalition working toward food justice, we believe the following statements to be true, and we encourage community groups, organizations, families and individuals to discuss these issues, and take action to remedy the problems and realize the ideals of food justice here in Carbondale.
-- It can be difficult for local farmers to secure shelf space in grocery stores, or to supply food to
restaurants due to national contracts and other policies favoring uniformity across stores or
restaurants in multiple locations.
-- Schools and other organizations face similar obstacles to providing local produce.
-- This creates economic barriers for the local farmer.
-- It hinders sustainable cultivation of land.
-- It restricts access to fresh food.
- Food justice begins at the local level.
- Food access is often limited by cost, location, cultural appropriateness, education, healthfulness and other barriers.
- A just food system begins with the cultivation of a healthy sustainable environment. It extends to equal economic opportunity for farms of all sizes, onward to fair labor practices for food workers. It culminates in equitable access to healthy food for people at all economic levels.
- Food systems become more sustainable when the distribution from farm to table is equitable and community driven.
- Compassionate food production, distribution and preparation must benefit all communities.
- Food justice can exist only under conditions that preclude racism, sexism, classism, heterosexism, and other forms of oppression, prejudice and injustices.
- Barriers to a just food system can be remedied by carefully examining and adjusting our food production, consumption, distribution and preparation practices.
- People do an injustice to themselves by eating poorly, and an injustice is done to them when they do not live close to healthy affordable food.
- Commercial practices, federal incentives, and other factors often favor large corporate farms over small local farms, as well as processed food over fresh. For example:
-- It can be difficult for local farmers to secure shelf space in grocery stores, or to supply food to
restaurants due to national contracts and other policies favoring uniformity across stores or
restaurants in multiple locations.
-- Schools and other organizations face similar obstacles to providing local produce.
-- This creates economic barriers for the local farmer.
-- It hinders sustainable cultivation of land.
-- It restricts access to fresh food.
