More on: CSA
We used to grow our own food.
By the late 1940’s, 40 percent of all the fresh fruits and vegetables consumed in the United States were grown in home gardens, called “Victory Gardens” for the way they supported the national effort and agriculture systems.
Then corporations took over.
After WWII, as parents went back to work, convenience was “king” and fast food was born. Corporations and “Big Agriculture” responded to money-making opportunities in cheaper mass-produced and addictive foods, and over time government allowed corporations to influence policy and dominate the market.
In a neighborhood, what kind of food is available reflects the kind of development dollars it gets, and as urban areas grew, lower-income areas developed situations known as “food deserts:” neighborhoods with minimal to no access to grocery stores and farmer’s markets, leaving families options like fast food and sugary snacks from convenience stores.
Now people are sick.
Not surprisingly, the majority of people and families left behind in these “food deserts” are BIPOC and marginalized communities.
Lack of access to fresh, healthy food has led to chronic health conditions, from physical suffering to dying disproportionately from diseases like heart disease, diabetes and other often preventable illnesses that are related to diet.
We can reclaim our bodies, our health, our relationship with the earth. It begins now.
“Food is political. There is no food justice or health justice without racial justice. There is no revolution without a revolution on health. ”