Original article published in Yes! Magazine: http://www.yesmagazine.org/people-power/4-not-so-easy-ways-to-dismantle-racism-in-the-food-system-20170427.
Yesterday, Yes! Magazine published an inspiring article by Leah Penniman about how to dismantle racism in the food system. Penniman, co-director of Soul Fire Farm, begins her piece by recounting the history of exploitation and legalized theft that serves as the bedrock of our current food and agriculture system.
This article, however, is not just a much needed history lesson. Penniman also outlines four achievable solutions (the DFTA is included in solution #2!) to dismantle the racism that has existed, and continues to exist, in our food and agriculture system. They are:
1. Uphold everyone’s right to land.
2. Honor the people who grow our food.
3. Eliminate food apartheid.
4. Support farmers of color.
This article is an important read for anyone involved in work related to food justice, domestic fair trade, food sovereignty, anti-racism, or simply for anyone who eats. Dismantling racism in our food system will not be easy, but it is possible.