Originally posted at WireTap Magazine

Every day we see signs of communities of color and low-income communities being disproportionately affected by everything from the economy and healthcare to pollution and education. One of the many components in fighting for racial justice is taking care of our health and ensuring that everyone has access to quality food that is both nutritious and beneficial for the community and body.

I interviewed Shereen D'Souza, director of the Berkeley-based California Food and Justice Coalition (CFJC) , about the work she and her colleagues are doing to achieve justice in the food system.

WT: Can you talk a little bit about the current campaigns and policies the California Food and Justice Coalition is focused on and the kinds of work you specifically are involved in?

CFJC: CFJC recently launched our newest campaign, Grow Local (PDF ). The goal of the campaign is to increase access to land and resources and to rebuild local food systems by shifting relevant local-level policy. CFJC and Grow Local prioritize the needs of low-income communities and communities of color. The benefits are numerous, including a strengthened local economy, green collar jobs, increased access to healthy food [and] decreased greenhouse gas emissions, to name a few.

CFJC is a statewide coalition of mainly grassroots organizations working for justice in the food system. Our member groups have created innovative and effective programs that address the various food system ills that exist in their communities. Their projects include garden-based education programs in under-served schools, community gardens for WIC recipients, and farmers markets that accept EBT .

Because these programs work, we feel that policy should reflect and replicate them, instead of undermining them. What if all the vacant lots in our neighborhoods were used as community gardens? What if the permitting process to install a greywater system was accessible to everyone, as opposed to cost-prohibitive? What if all city institutions increased the percentage of locally-grown food they purchased? If our cities adopted these types of policies, our food system would be a lot healthier, and we would be healthier as well.

As a justice organization, one of the problems we see with policy change is that the process usually excludes most people. Only "experts" get to participate in policy conversations. That does not lead to long-lasting change.

So, a major focus of Grow Local is training community leaders and grassroots organizers on understanding the role policy can play in supporting their efforts and how to advocate for the policies they want to see for their communities.

WT: All around the country, low-income urban areas and communities of color seem to be disproportionately affected by health issues and a lack of access to fresh foods and nutritional education. Are there any specific policies or efforts that have facilitated this disparity in California?

CFJC: There are many policies that have created these types of inequities. One that I feel is particularly insidious is our government's commodity subsidies program. Through the Farm Bill , farmers who grow "commodity crops" -- including corn, wheat, soybeans, oats, rice and cotton -- are eligible to receive payments from the government that guarantee a certain price minimum for their crop.

It may sound harmless, like farmers being guaranteed a livable income regardless of the price of their crop on the world market, but the reality is that these subsidies encourage over-production of these crops because recipients know they will get paid for their product no matter what the market demand is. Also, the biggest recipients of these subsidies are large agribusiness producers -- the more you grow, the more subsidies you can receive. We're not talking about small, family farmers here. We're talking about multi-national corporations.

As a result of these subsidies, it costs more to grow grains than to purchase them. Concentrated animal feeding operations (the factory farms that keep way too many cows, pigs, chickens, etc in appalling living conditions) take advantage of these cheap grains to fatten their animals for slaughter faster, making their meat cheaper.

We also see the low cost of commodity drops in the widespread presence of high fructose corn syrup and partially hydrogenated oils in highly processed foods. Sadly, foods containing these unhealthy ingredients are usually cheapest and most readily available in low-income neighborhoods. Many people argue that commodity subsidies are directly related to the diet-related health inequities most prevalent in low-income communities, including diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, etc..

WT: The slow food movement and other sustainability efforts seem targeted towards upper middle class, predominantly white communities. How can we apply these movements to wider audiences and make them more accessible?

CFJC: A tiny part of the work CFJC does is to engage with movements like slow food and other sustainability efforts to make them more accessible to all and to encourage them to adopt a justice focus. But, the truth is, I feel that we already have our alternative to the mainstream: the burgeoning food justice movement, a movement that prioritizes both people and the environment, is strong enough to create the change we want to see by prioritizing the food and farming needs of those who are most vulnerable.

When I think of the food justice efforts in my neighborhood, they contain the same elements that have made slow food so popular: good food, community and health. Since we already have our own home-grown version of slow food, I don't feel the need to focus much energy on engaging with that movement. I think it's more important to strengthen what our communities have developed.

WT: Any leads or advice for young people trying to take action towards rebuilding local food systems and bringing better food options into their communities?

CFJC: This is a movement led by young people, and the opportunities to get involved abound. If there are existing food justice organizations in your area, that would be an easy point of entry to this work. If not, I think the first step is to start talking to your neighbors. Decide together about what the most pressing issues are, what a viable solution would look like and where you want to focus your energy. Once you've decided on an issue, do some research into the existing models that are out there.

There are many amazing food justice organizations, led by youth and young people. Here are a few of the ones that I really like: Rooted in Community , Real Food Challenge , Oakland Food Connection and Urban Tilth.

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