
Food Justice and Security
Introduction
Food justice refers to a system that ensures equitable distribution of all types of food to all people. The process can also apply to a situation that ensures that all persons have a choice when it comes to choosing a healthy life in terms of the food consumed. For this reason, the concept deals with processes that enhance consumption. The following essay discusses the above-mentioned concept including the factors such as differences between food security and justice and how unjust the system is to the society. The essay will also discuss the examples of communities affected by the unjust food system and their reactions. Lastly, the essay will highlight my opinion on the matter in terms of what I can personally do to ensure the promotion of food justice. An analysis will show that the advancement of education for the marginalized society is essential to eliminate the current unjust food system.
Differences between Food Justice and Food Security
The first difference is that food security merely refers to the availability of food regardless of its accessibility to the people (Allen, 2007). For this reason, the society might have enough food for all its citizens yet they might not be able to access it. Moreover, the future accessibility of the food is guaranteed in food security. When it comes to the food justice, it explains how food reaches the consumers. The definition signifies that food justice concentrates on the interaction between the consumers and the systems of distributing the foods (Tashiro & Lo, 2012). It also incorporates the concepts of human rights to the access of the food. Therefore, it means that if the society has just food systems, then all people have the freedoms and rights to access the food, produce and enjoy it. Therefore, food justice ensures that all people have the capability to enjoy all types of food (Alkon & Agyeman, 2011). According to the above difference, it is evident that food justice occurs only after the society is guaranteed of food security.
The Unjust Conventional Food System
The modern society’s food system does not portray an equitable structure. The first aspect to prove the above assertion is that the primary producers of the food such as farmers often face various difficulties when conducting their roles (Allen, 2007). The chief characteristic of the regions that produce food is that the people occupying the areas do not have access to avenues that supply nutritional food channels such as the supermarkets. Moreover, many people are exposed to various non-nutritional avenues that provide non-healthy products such as fast food.
The other aspect that portrays unjust system is the high prices of organic foods. Organic food presents the most healthy and nutritious food. In the modern society, the prices of natural food are high due to their unsubsidized nature (Alkon & Agyeman, 2011). For this reason, the prices of the natural food tend to have twice sales value than other foods that have chemicals and harmful effects (Tashiro & Lo, 2012). Therefore, the organic food becomes available to the rich people and other high-income earners. According to the above observation, it means that the low-income earners are exposed to high sugar food.
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The last aspect that portrays the unjust food system in the society is that the low-income earners and the underprivileged people often do not have the chance to take at least two meals a day. Many experts assert that the world has enough food to satisfy all the people. However, the process that enhances its accessibility to all people does not portray the aspect of equality (Mansfield, 2012). The concept arises because the producers of the foods do not usually enjoy the luxury of consuming the healthy food produced. The main contributors of the present scenario are the companies involved in the accessibility processes. A primary characteristic of these firms is that they do not perform their ethical roles of equally distributing the food (Allen, 2007). Moreover, the strength of fast food firms and their financial capabilities ensure that their products reach the consumers fast compared to the organic foods. Therefore, the analysis of the above-mentioned concepts shows that the primary reason for the unjust food system is the societal difference in aspects such as wealth.
Effects on Communities and their Responses
The primary impact of the unjust food system is that people from marginalized areas and low-income earners do not have access to quality food. The main reason of the above perspective is that they cannot afford to buy the healthy foods such as the organic food (Tashiro & Lo, 2012). Another effect is that the producers of the food end up enjoying harmful food products despite their production of the healthy organic food. Due to the above effects, the society ends up divided on the basis of food, despite its availability in abundance.
The affected communities, such as the marginalized and women, have adopted measures that ensure the promotion of more equitable distribution of healthy food (Allen, 2007). The first response is the adoption of a food justice movement to ensure a more equitable distribution framework. The aim of the movement is to ensure that all aspects of food system such as the production, transportation and consumption are equitable (Mansfield, 2012). The framework aims at achieving its objectives by offering training to the farmers and the people living in marginalized areas. The education entails aspects such as proper gardening and youth empowerment by enlightening them on their roles to ensure food justice.
My Role in Promoting Food Justice
As a promoter of food justice, I would aim at eliminating the prevalent gap in the society on the basis of education, wealth and marginalization. The three concepts are the primary reason for the tensions between the two social classes. In many instances, people that have educational opportunities have a high probability of having good careers in the future, which give them the opportunity to access healthy foods. For this reason, I would promote education in the marginalized regions to ensure that people’s income is sufficient to afford nutritious food. Apart from the above concepts, I would also engage in an education program to ensure that I enlighten the marginalized people on the dangers of consuming food from fast foods that has harmful effects on their health. The educational campaign would ensure that people change their eating habit for their health.
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Conclusion
In conclusion, the promotion of education for the marginalized society is essential to eliminate the current unjust food system. The primary variation between the two concepts is that food justice refers to the accessibility of healthy food equitably while food security refers to the availability of abundant food. The most affected communities are the producers of food and the marginalized people. Such communities are developing a framework to educate the people on healthy food behaviors. As a promoter of justice, I would engage in a campaign that eradicates the concepts of societal differences due to education and wealth. The campaign would enhance the process of people accessing education to ensure that they have the income levels to access nutritious food. The campaign would also enlighten the people on the dangers of consuming harmful foods.