What is Food Justice? – Sharon Palmer, The Plant Powered Dietitian

Wondering what is food justice? Learn about the definition of food justice and join the movement in this guide.

The idea of food justice has gained momentum in recent years as more people try to bring awareness to a holistic and structural view of the food system that views access to healthy culturally appropriate food as a basic human right. Indeed, the concept of food justice is about a social movement with a set of principles that align with goals of social justice, demanding recognition of human rights, equal opportunity, and fair treatment that is participatory and community specific, according to a recent scoping review of food justice. Food justice incorporates access to healthy food within one’s cultural preferences, ownership of land, and knowledge. Some of the concepts intersect with environmental justice, since the term has opened peoples’ eyes to the overwhelming inequities that exist between low-income and high-income communities’ food accessibility. Overall, the food justice ideology works to bring justice to those who have inadequate access to food.

Who is Most Vulnerable?

Food justice may be adopted as an ideology, policy, and prevention tool to better serve those who are most vulnerable to a lack of food access, often centered in or by a food desert–communities with higher access to low nutrient, ultra-processed food without having a stable source of obtaining healthful foods in one’s own cultural preference, such as fresh produce. A lack of access to nutritious food and an increased consumption of ultra-processed products is associated with an increased risk of developing chronic diseases. Increasing access to healthy food can serve as a prevention measure against the rising rates of chronic disease.

Food Justice Movements

Just a few grassroots food justice movements that are taking charge in the frontier include Soul Fire Farm, Detroit Black Community Food Security Network, Indigenous Food Justice, and Food Worker Justice.

Soul Fire Farm is a part of the Freedom Food Alliance that is a collection of farmers, politicians, and organizers that use food justice to address racism in the criminal justice system. Also, Soul Fire Farm works in their local community to increase access to fresh produce for those who are food insecure.

Detroit Black Community Food Security Network helps those in the city of Detroit gain access to food in order to live a more nourished, full life. The organization accomplishes its mission by turning vacant lots into community gardens for individuals. Also, these community gardens serve as a place for education, agriculture, and gardening classes to help connect the community to the land and food.

Indigenous Food Justice organization and Native American Food Sovereignty Alliance, works to restore Indigenous food systems and rebuild relationships with the land. This organization addresses the food insecurities and food swamps that exist within Native reservations that have led to poor health.

Food Worker Justice is an organization that is determined to deliver food justice to immigrant workers from South and Central America that help within the food system. Although these workers are harvesting crops, they often return to their location of residency tired, hungry, and without enough adequate food to nourish oneself.

These organizations are creating a future for a food system and globe that enables all people to optimal access to food.

How Can You Become Involved?

If you would like to support the movement for food justice, begin to donate, join, or volunteer for organizations fighting for this cause. Also, educating yourself on the topic of food justice, insecurity, and sovereignty issues is a great place to start in order to grasp how complex and intersectional these issues really are. Lastly, advocating for public policy that will make lasting change and address food justice will help establish food as a human right for all.

Written by Michelle Naragon, dietetic intern with Sharon Palmer, MSFS, RDN
Photographs by Sharon Palmer, MSFS, RDN

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