Week 6 - Food Injustice

Week 6Food Injustice –

Race and Our Food System

FOOD JUSTICE * SOVEREIGNTY

Food Justice – food, and way it is grown and produced, should be DISTRIBUTED fairly

Food Sovereignty – The focus on food security, without addressing the PRODUCTION of food, has caused poor, food-insecure countries to import cheap, subsidized food Impacts local farmers, economies, and culturesAdvocates for LOCAL production + consumption Local = avoids cycle of poverty ($), reliance on

foreign imports, and long-term problems

WHO experiences barriers to access to safe, healthy, local,

fairly produced foods?

1. FOOD ACCESS

“Food Security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life”

~World Summit on Food Security, 1996

F0od Distribution – NOT food productionPolitical or logistical

Political-Agricultural Practices Substituting commodity crops for food crops

(i.e. growing corn instead of veggies) – healthy food not supported by US farming policy

US’s “cheap commodity crop” exports – impacts global and local farmers who can’t compete with these prices

Demand for biofuels – corn and soy (decreased viable land for food production)

What are the reasons behind lack of food access?

To be able to choose healthy foods you must first have access to them…

Food Deserts - Low-income areas >500 people or 33% of the population live farther than one mile away (10 miles in rural areas) from an affordable food store.

Food Balance - Distance to closest grocer / Distance to closest fast food

2.3 million U.S. households (2.2%) live farther than a mile from nearest supermarket with no access to a car.

23.5 million people live in low-income area over a mile from nearest supermarket

6.5 million children live in food deserts.

To be able to choose healthy foods you must first have access to them…

Highest levels of obesity are in census tracts with no supermarkets

COSTS: lost quality/length of life for those directly affected = Higher medical costs

Link between food deserts and Medicaid use

Meanwhile…

55 square miles of Food Deserts with 383,954 people,

70% are African AmericanChildhood Obesity rates in Illinois are double

U.S. rates

Chicago – Food Deserts

2. FOOD PRODUCTION

““(Farm workers) are involved in the planting and the cultivation and the harvesting of the greatest abundance of food known in this society…The ironic thing and the tragic thing is that after they make this tremendous contribution, they don’t have any money or any food left for themselves.””

~Cesar Chavez, Labor Leader & Civil Rights Activist

Farm workers have the lowest annual family incomes of any U.S. wage and salary workers.

Farm workers work 42 hours per week and earn ~ $7.25 an hour

Annually, the average income of crop worker is between $10,000 - $12,499 for individuals / $15,000 - $17,499 for a family Federal poverty line - $10,830 for individual;

$22,050 for family of four (2009)30% of all farm workers had total family

incomes below poverty line

How much do farm workers earn?

Most farm workers are paid based on how many buckets or bags they pick or whatever crop they harvest = “piece rate”

Drawbacks – Disincentive for breaks for water or shade

Making less than minimum wage –Piece rate for Florida oranges is 85 cents per 90-

pound boxAve. productivity is 8 boxes an hour 8-hour day – 5760 pounds of oranges = $6.80 an

hourLabor laws are poorly enforced at best OR farm

workers are paid little to no wage = modern slavery conditions

Payment Based on Productivity

Member of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) in FL shows an actual farm worker paycheck, with piece rates from tomatoes listed

Farm worker unemployment rates are double those of all wage and salary workers

Many are day laborers – must chase crops to make a living

At the mercy of variable conditions like natural disasters and bad weather

Lack benefits that labor laws guarantee to workers in other industries (no overtime, sick, maternity…)

Wages have declined by 20% in the last 20 years

Exposure to pesticides, back issues (lifting and bending over), machines, sun/climate…

No Job Security

Agriculture is one of the top three most dangerous occupations in the US

Housing – crowded, unsanitary, lack basic utilities, isolated from public transportation…

Exorbitant rate for rent – often crowd 10 workers into one trailer in order to afford rent

Children and teens – 500,000 estimated under the age or 18

Farm worker women – given leastdesired, lowest-paying jobs, and face discrimination

Other Worker Issues…

This trailer in Immokalee, FL rents for $500 per week

HOW DO WE

CHANGEIt?

SUMMIT COUNTY

Population – 30,000Liquor store – ?Fast Food – ?Grocery Stores - ?

WEST OAKLAND

Population – 30,000Liquor store – 53Fast Food – 12Grocery Stores - 0

What is the first thing you see when you enter your local corner store?

Map the fast food restaurants in your neighborhood.

Map the grocery stores. How do the maps compare to each

other?Where do you buy most of your food?

QUESTIONS