Table of Contents
In the United States, we aspire to “liberty and justice for all,” but in our food system, 和其他地方一样, reality too often falls far short of that aspiration.
Our nation is a paradox, founded both on democratic, 平等主义的理想和不公正和压迫的系统实践-殖517888九五至尊娱乐义, 奴隶制, 种族灭绝, and exploitation of labor, especially immigrant labor—that we have never fully confronted, 否定, or made amends for.
Our food system is Exhibit A. 我们超市的货架上陈列着种类繁多的食品, yet millions of our people are excluded from that abundance. 种族和经济特权决定了我们能得到什么样的食物. 倡导食物公平的人把这种对食物选择的系统性分层称为“食物种族隔离”。.
These inequities will not just go away; we have to do the work of dismantling them, often in the face of opposition. 许多国家和地方组织从事粮食公正517888九五至尊娱乐, and UCS has collaborated with several of them, most notably through our partnerships with the HEAL 食物 Alliance 和 Good 食物 for All Collaborative.
Unequal access and its consequences
The Devastating Consequences of Unequal 食物 访问
Multiple studies have confirmed that Black, 印第安人, 而美国的拉丁裔人住在卖新鲜食品的零售商附近的可能性要小得多, 健康的食物. 这种差异是致命的:糖尿病和其他代谢疾病的发病率在有色人种社区也更高, 和se two phenomena are related. 2016年加州大学洛杉矶分校的一项分析发现，增加有色人种社区的新鲜食物来源数量将显著降低糖尿病发病率.
But geographic proximity isn’t the whole story. 加州大学洛杉矶分校的同一项研究发现，当人们从收入而不是种族的角度来看待社区时, 增加更多的新鲜食品渠道对糖尿病发病率没有影响. (如果你没钱去农贸市场购物，那么不管农贸市场离你有多近, 或者如果你做两份517888九五至尊娱乐，没有时间从头开始做晚餐.)
简而言之，获取健康食品不平等是一个多方面的问题. 有效的解决方案需要解决所有这些问题，并确保这些解决方案尽可能公正和以现实为基础, 重要的是，社区的声音在构建它们的过程中发挥主导作用.
Fairness for food workers
Farmworkers at Risk
超过2000万人在美国食品系统517888九五至尊娱乐，约占美国劳动力的八分之一. Compared to workers in other sectors, food workers are more likely to be underpaid, to lack health insurance and other benefits, and to face unsafe, unhealthy or exploitative working conditions. According to a 2016 report by the 食物 Chain Workers Alliance, 8 of the 10 worst-paying jobs in the US are food system jobs. Abuses such as wage theft, sexual harassment and workplace violence are common, and food workers have few legal protections if they speak out.
Activist organizations such as the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW)站起来要求公平的工资和结束恶劣的517888九五至尊娱乐条件在食品行业. 作为消费者, 我们可以通过自我教育和用我们的钱包投票来支持这些努力，为食品工人的公平待遇投票, 在CIW的公平食品计划等创新标签倡议的帮助下.
The importance of ownership
Leveling the Fields
剥夺一个社区权力的最有效方法之一是将其排除在土地所有权之外, 企业, and other resources. A 2019 study from Portland State University shows that Black, 拉丁裔和美洲原住民在美国农场主中所占的比例严重不足. 这种差异的根源在于从土著社区窃取土地并将其转让给白人定居者, reinforced over the years by discriminatory ownership laws, 为服务于不同种族社区的赠地大学提供分离且不平等的支持, and other manifestations of structural racism.
Related resources
How Long Has The Farm Bill Been Expired?
Cropland Repurposing in California
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
