The neoliberal approach to food justice (which is especially prevalent and practiced in the US) argues that a deregulated, profit-driven system can incentivize efficiency and innovation. There is a strong idea of "voting with your fork," in which consumers in the free market choose to support and buy from companies that practice environmentally and socially responsible ethics. Neoliberalists claim that this framework encourages entrepreneurship and fosters economic growth, which could potentially translate into improved access to nutritious food for marginalized communities. Neoliberalism also stresses charity and NGO involvement to combat food justice related issues, such as food deserts, food inequality, and food worker rights.
However, I think that this approach tends to overlook the structural/systemic inequalities deeply embedded in our food systems. Neoliberal policies often exacerbate disparities, leaving vulnerable populations further marginalized while wealthier communities have unequal access to the organic food movement. The emphasis on profit-driven motives can result in prioritizing market interests over equitable food distribution. One such example is Walmart. Walmart has turned itself into a massive grocery chain, with 1 in every 4 grocery dollars in the United States being spent in Walmart. They are now attempting to brand themselves as "organic" and "regenerative," making massive promises about environmental sustainability. They also offer organic produce at around 23% less than other grocery stores. While this looks good on paper, it is actually causing smallscale farmers to be pushed out of the organic market. The only companies that can manage to meet Walmart's "guaranteed low price" demands are big ag that do the bare minimum to achieve a USDA label. These big ag companies tend to offload costs onto farm workers and the environment to meet the narrow price margin that Walmart sets.
I also see neoliberalism as undervaluing collective responsibility and promoting individualism, which goes against the very essence of the food justice movement. The responsibility is shifted to the individual to make informed, "ethical" choices while ignoring the systemic factors that go into an individual's ability to make those decisions. True food justice demands a holistic approach that addresses structural inequalities, environmental sustainability, and social justice collectively – an approach that neoliberalism, with its narrow focus on market forces, seems inherently incapable of delivering.
1 comment:
I appreciated your summary of neoliberalism. i think I agree that this system overlooks and encourages inequalities. My analogy is to compare this to regenerative agriculture. Technically you can leave a plot of land alone to work itself out (kinda like the STUN method by Mark Shepard), similar to how neoliberalism leaves the food system to work itself out. However, in agriculture, while less energy input is the goal, some is needed in order to direct the desired results. Especially at the beginning, desired crops are planted; you cant just assume apple trees or paw-paws will appear in a previously thistle covered field. Similarly, in the food system, some effort needs to be used to steer the system in the desired direction. This is a flawed analogy, but my point is that the food system likely needs some guidance, somewhere between a ton of governmental control or completely leissez-faire.
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