The Bookworm: Cultivating Food Justice

The Bookworm: reading the best and weeding the rest

A REVIEW BY LEEANNA TATUM OF CULTIVATING FOOD JUSTICE - RACE, CLASS AND SUSTAINABILITY BY ALISON HOPE ALKON AND JULIAN AGYEMAN

Cultivating Food Justice is a bit of a dense read, not intended for someone with only an idle curiosity regarding social and racial justice within the context of food systems. Edited by Alison Hope Alkon and Julian Agyeman, the book is a collection of academic studies primarily investigating the ways in which the national sustainable food movement has largely overlooked entire segments of the population.

The book explores the ways in which a long history of overtly racist and sometimes inadvertently racist policies in America have undermined food security for Native populations, African Americans, and each new wave of immigrant groups that have come to America.

One of the overarching themes within the book is the idea that food is more than merely a source of nutrients but is inherently tied to culture, racial and ethnic identity, and even religion. As such, the concept of food security is more than simply the human right to have access to nutrition but the idea of food sovereignty which also takes into account the cultural, social and oftentimes place-specific needs of people groups.

For example, the rights of Native American populations to have access to their tribal hunting grounds and traditional food sources instead of being forced to partake of a Western diet or go hungry. (My very simplified breakdown of a very complex issue.)

While not intended for light reading, this is certainly a book that would benefit individuals working within the sustainable food movement - especially market organizers, nonprofit administrators, community garden organizers, and so on.

The book highlights the importance of inclusion as we work to develop a truly sustainable, local food system and warns against the possibility of further abuses against these overlooked population groups, even while employing the best of intentions.

In addition to racism within food systems, the book addresses issues faced by economically depressed and rural populations as well. While the food movement is greatly improving access to fresh healthy food for many Americans, far too many are still left without access.

“Low-income people and people of color have been systematically denied access to the means of food production, and are often limited in their abilities to consume healthy foods. However, the food movement narrative ignores these injustices, an omission which reflects its adherents’ race and class privilege. The cultivation of a food system that is both environmentally sustainable and socially just will require the creation of alliances between the food movement and the communities most harmed by current conditions. The food justice movement is laying the foundation for such coalition building.”