San Antonio & the UN Food Summit

UN Summit Discusses San Antonio ' s Unsustainable Food Systems and Response

by Wallis Monday

After a summer filled with events, the United Nations will host a Food Systems Summit this fall in New York City. Aimed at creating action-plans for a sustainable future, the topics range from nutrition to agriculture to world poverty. Strong food systems are a key to achieving the UN’ s Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, and global and local governments are taking action. Food systems are described as the “ constellation of activities involved in producing, processing, transporting and consuming food. " But what does this mean for our community?

In the United States, much of the conversation around sustainable development leaves out the most vulnerable communities who are most likely to go hungry. According to the Global Hunger Index, at least 690 million people are undernourished globally. The San Antonio Food Bank reports that in Bexar County, one in four children are food insecure. The UN has recognized that, in a quest for a sustainable future, environmentalism must include those living in poverty. In doing so, the organization has invited local communities worldwide to assess for themselves how sustainability can move forward. The local generation of guidelines for sustainability is a crucial component of the UN’ s agenda for their fall summit. And so, like many cities across the globe and the country, San Antonio held a Food Systems Summit of their own, organized by Gardopia Gardens and the City of San Antonio. On May 22nd, over seventy .

people showed up virtually to engage in conversation surrounding the UN’ s suggested action tracks:

Ensure access to safe and nutritious food for all Shift to sustainable consumption patterns Boost nature-positive production Advance equitable livelihoods Build resilience to vulnerabilities, shocks, and stress.

Opening the discussion was Juan Mancias, a leader of the non recognized Carrizo Comecrudo tribe, who explained that San Antonio's food systems are deeply linked to its colonial history. The Spanish missions of the 16th century are a constant reminder of the forced assimilation of indigenous peoples and their agricultural practices. What we ’ re left with today is a patchwork of traditions which has garnered a UNESCO recognition of San Antonio as a City of Gastronomy but has also created a disconnect between agriculture, sustainability, and diet. As a consequence, the San Antonio food systems are environmentally unsustainable and unhealthy. Education initiatives, like those hosted by Gardopia Gardens, aim to strengthen the cognitive connection between what we plant, how we plant, and what we eat.

In addition to an unsustainable and unhealthy food system, panelists emphasized that, like most major American cities, San Antonio still houses many folks who don ’t know where their next meal will come from. So how can we create a city where people have access to healthy food options that are affordable and environmentally sustainable?

Leaders of the city agreed that we must begin with economic stability for workers across the food supply system: farm workers, entrepreneurs, fast-food and restaurant employees, and grocery stores. Communities globally have renewed respect for essential workers because of the Covid-19 pandemic. More specifically, San Antonio became especially cognizant of food security during winter storm Uri that left many without power, water, and/or source of food. But respect and awareness does not put food on the table.

Federal and local funds, through grants, subsidies, and tax breaks, will prove that governments are backing up these claims with money. We cannot build a just food system without financial backing, as panelists Tracie Shelton and Jamie Gonzalez repeatedly stressed. Shelton, the founder of the business incubator Alamo Kitchens, and Gonzalez, the self proclaimed “Puta de la Fruta, ” work on the grassroots level to promote local culinary entrepreneurs and increase access to healthy foods in areas without much fresh produce, known as food deserts. Both Shelton and Gonzalez work to increase accessibility for those who might not live near a grocery store, or who are unable to travel to one. Shelton seeks to increase the amount of small, food-based businesses you might have in your own neighborhood, while Gonzalez has worked to put fruits and veggies in corner stores and bodegas. Grassroots changes such as these could grow to their full potential with institutional support.

The UN’ s year-long agenda is packed with events for those who want to get involved and become a “food systems hero, ” whether you are passionate about agriculture, education, or workers ’ rights. SA’ s panelists repeatedly modeled that there are many ways to be a food justice advocate, and that the more folks get involved on every level, the stronger our food system will be.