Food Justice

Oppression has impacted what and how we eat.

Throughout history, our communities have developed recipes using a variety of ingredients to create dishes that would sustain us. We acknowledge the value of foods developed out of hardship. While we strive to decolonize our foods and substitute components that are now deemed “healthier,” we accept the historical variation of our food as vital to our cultural heritage and memories. We do not vilify these foods as unhealthy.

We acknowledge that our traditional foods also face gentrification, and that often “slow food” and home-cooked meals can be inaccessible. The “elevation” of our foods, as they become food industry or “health” trends, means that formerly affordable food items are now expensive and inaccessible. Yet these ingredients are still healthy, nutritious, and delicious.

As our traditional foods move out of our reach, dietary restrictions based on religion, allergies, access, cooking, or storage capabilities mean that we have less access to foods that we enjoy or that nourish our bodies and souls. More “affordable” food items are often the most processed and can be the most unhealthy. Many of our neighborhoods are food deserts, lacking basic affordable healthy options that constitute food security. This is injustice.