Explaining and Supporting the Food Justice Movement

The world is going through myriad changes right now, and these necessary growing pains are waking people up to issues that have existed since the beginning of American history. At the forefront is systemic racism, also known as institutional racism, meaning that racism has been embedded into our society and has normalized discrimination in many different aspects of life—including healthy eating. 

 

Minority groups receive fewer opportunities–in the workforce, in our education system, and more–due to systemic racism, so they tend to live with a lower household income. Low wage-earners then gravitate toward unhealthy products because they are cheaper and thus more accessible. No one should have to fight for a place or a voice in the food industry, and yet minority voices are often excluded from the narrative. Food Justice is the fight to put an end to that. The Food Justice Movement calls attention to the fact that access to healthy foods should be considered a basic human right while addressing how the current system has prevented this from happening. 

 

Here at FarmRaiser, we want to amplify the voices that have played a part in the Food Justice Movement. This business was founded as a force to rid communities of fundraising with processed foods that are high in fat and sugar. Instead, FarmRaiser steers those communities towards local vendors offering healthy products. With this change in mind, FarmRaiser is dedicated to helping people build up community wealth through fundraising. While raising money for schools and helping out local businesses, FarmRaiser also offers an option for people to donate to community baskets–which go directly to local food banks. These baskets help support, sustain, and build up the neighborhood.

 

What you can do:

 

I encourage you to explore the black-led organizations listed below. All of them have been working through the Food Justice Movement to form new roots in a stubbornly-anchored old system. 

 

Detroit Black Community Food Security Network (DBCFSN)- Aims to support Detroit’s black community by advocating for food security through urban agriculture, encouraging healthier foods, and educating people through lectures and hands-on youth programs.

 

National Black Food and Justice Alliance (NBFJA)-  An alliance of many black-led organizations that seeks to highlight black narratives and organize for accessible and sustainable food and land.

 

Southeastern African American Farmers’ Organic Network (SAAFON)- A nonprofit working exclusively to support black farmers, both individually and through a network they’ve created to help farmers support and learn from one another.

 

You can also make a difference by creating your own campaign with FarmRaiser to raise money for these organizations or any others on your radar.

 

If you are a minority farmer or artisan yourself, FarmRaiser welcomes you, and looks forward to serving as a platform to help boost your sales and support causes within your community!

The world is going through myriad changes right now, and these necessary growing pains are waking people up to issues that have existed since the beginning of American history. At the forefront is systemic racism, also known as institutional racism, meaning that racism has been embedded into our society and has normalized discrimination in many…