Alkon - Food Justice and the Challenge to Neoliberalism

[Dr. Schnell posting for Peytan Diffenbaugh due to technical difficulties] As the reading started I found it to be quite relatable. I to have a connection with food that is more than just eating. I find that food can tell stories about the past and present, these stories could be about how a person grew up, what they were taught, and their culture. It's a beautiful way to connect as you should feel that food is just more than satisfying hunger, like a way to fuel our body. That being said, food is often taken for granted, it contains sugars, fresh produce is often more expensive, and not always a choice. Those who aren’t privileged have even less access to this food. The food that we need, for healthy and sustainable lives. Neoliberalism is also a new word and idea to me and quite a large one to wrap my head around. It wasn’t anything I thought about before. It's important to remember how we got to the food industry that we have today. How were foods originally farmed and produced, who made these ways and how were they passed on? While some methods of agriculture and farming may not be as efficient now, that does not mean that there still aren’t practices that can be continued today. What would the world be like if everybody had access to farms with fresh proteins and vegetables? What would this economy look like? To be quite honest I’m not sure, but I do know that the issue of world hunger isn’t going to solve itself. I think a great way to start is by supporting and growing nonprofits, advertising them globally, and encouraging people to support them. Teaching small communities how to source local food, even creating community gardens. One problem that the reading discusses is the condition of workers in this industry how many are less than ideal and grueling. I hope that the more that communities take part in and responsibility for their food industries the better working conditions will come along. Food is a way to connect and can be used to connect people and communities to one another.