Rethinking Justice in Our Food Systems

What stood out to me most in this article was the idea that the disagreement between food security and food sovereignty is not really about food itself, but about different understandings of justice. Food security focuses mostly on making sure people have access to enough safe and nutritious food. On the surface, that sounds like the obvious solution to hunger. But the authors argue that this approach is rooted in distributive justice, meaning it is mainly concerned with who gets what and whether resources are evenly distributed. While that is important, the article shows that it can be too narrow.

Food sovereignty, on the other hand, looks at food in a much broader way. It emphasizes the right of communities to make their own decisions about how food is grown, distributed, and consumed. I think this is important because it shifts the conversation from simply giving people food to giving them power. The example of the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network really helped me understand this. It shows how leadership and decision making within the community matter, especially when outside groups might unintentionally take control.

The section on Indigenous models of justice was also really powerful. The idea of justice being relationship centered, focusing on restoring balance between people, land, and nature, feels very different from just counting whether everyone has enough food. The Columbia River salmon example made this clear. Replacing contaminated salmon with processed food technically solves the access problem, but it ignores cultural traditions, spiritual meaning, and environmental damage. That really made me see how a food security solution could still create harm in other ways.

Overall, I agree with the authors that food security is necessary, but not enough on its own. Making sure people are not hungry is essential, but justice also involves culture, environment, participation, and self determination. Looking at food through a more holistic lens helps reveal issues that might otherwise be overlooked.