The Activists Working to Remake the Food System
The Activists Working to Remake the Food System
They’re committed not just to securing better meals for everyone, but to dismantling the very structures that have long exploited both workers and consumers.
From left: Jamila Norman of Patchwork City Farms, Karen Washington of Black Urban Growers and Dara Cooper of the National Black Food and Justice Alliance, photographed at Norman’s farm in Atlanta on Jan. 18, 2021.Credit.Photograph by Nydia Blas. Set design by Beth Pakradooni. Set designer’s assistant: Harry Smith.
By Ligaya Mishan
Feb. 19, 2021
AN ALTAR IS a sacred space, but you can make one anywhere, out of anything; out of what you’re given. On Dec. 5, a small group gathered in downtown Springdale, Ark., to line the cement steps of a public square with Our Lady of Guadalupe candles, chrysanthemums and white cards bearing the handwritten names of local poultry workers who had died of Covid-19. Under each name was the l
A diverse set of environmental, family farm, farm policy and rural community organizations sent a letter to the White House today urging the Biden administration to issue an executive order that would enact a moratorium on mergers and acquisitions in the food and agricultural industries.
The effort, led by Food & Water Watch, is meant to highlight the crisis of consolidation across the industry. The food system in the United States is heavily concentrated across all levels of the supply chain, with negative impacts on small farmers, industry workers, and consumers alike. Corporate consolidation has been accelerating since the 1980s, but particularly since the 2008 recession. Allowing additional food and agriculture mergers to proceed will only increase this consolidation which results in decreased income for farmers and higher grocery prices for consumers.
Food system s vulnerability showcased during pandemic, unrest
Protecting dignity for food workers, providing equal opportunities for all producers and ensuring fair and competitive markets are goals.
Jan 25, 2021 4:25 AM By: Mary Schuermann Kuhlman, Public News Service
Sustainable agriculture advocate Navina Kahnna says holistic changes are needed to end inequalities in the nation s food system. (HEAL Food Alliance)
COLUMBUS The nation is at a turning point with a new push for unity, and some groups say changing our food system is one crucial step in addressing the divide.
Navina Khanna, executive director of the HEAL Food Alliance, said the combination of COVID-19, the climate crisis and political unrest has illuminated the food system s vulnerability in times of crisis.