Whose Justice is it Anyway?

 Relating food justice to the way that indigenous groups view justice was an interesting concept to read about. The “holistic philosophy” that they have that emphasizes the major issues that need to be solved in order to achieve peace for everyone involved is an effective way to put into perspective the significance of food justice. It also brings up the need for calling attention to issues, finding solutions, and restoring what had been previously broken. Awareness is the first step, and it’s very important for people to know what’s going on and what the issues are either where they live or in other communities. Calling attention to food injustice issues can lead to possible solutions. 

I also think it’s important for people to be able to feel empowered within these communities as mentioned in the article. Neighborhood gardens help to support the people living there in more ways than just giving them more access to fresh produce. It helps these people recognize their democracy as well as have the ability to embrace their cultures. Maybe by making traditional dishes with the produce they make, and sharing it with other people within their community. In my opinion, people should have the ability to share their cultures with their neighbors. It goes beyond the context of food justice and is tied to the importance of human connection and support for one another. 

I like how this article also brought up environmental justice, specifically the example of the location of toxic waste sites. I find this to be extremely unjust and cruel to the communities living there, these companies and the government don’t care about these people and don’t consider how it could affect them either. 

I can definitely see how focusing on only food access and distribution could be harmful, and it shouldn’t encourage ignoring other issues just to meet the needs of these issues. The article mentions that sometimes if a food justice movement only focuses on the distribution aspect of it, it doesn’t really involve members of that community. This further silences their voices and avoids listening to what they truly desire and need. We are then led back to the holistic approach to food justice, that will tackle any issues that might’ve otherwise been overlooked. As I mentioned before, this is extremely important, examining and reworking everything that is an issue within the system is necessary to achieve a stable food system.