Everyone knows fresh fruits and vegetables are supposed to be good for you. Did you know that the lack of access to fresh foods can be an environmental justice issue? What are some of the barriers preventing people from eating more fresh foods in your community? Some examples may include:

● accessibility, cost, and preparation time
● lack of land for growing food and lack of knowledge about cooking and nutrition
● language of information
● lack of control over the kinds of food served in public institutions

Eating local food can: taste better since it is harvested when it is ripe, save money if you grow it yourself, increase food security because it won’t be mixed with food from all over the country, decrease fuel emissions associated with shipping food, and support the local economy.

Eating ethically does not need to be something only for the elite, but rather can be something for the entire community to enjoy and celebrate. Determine what some of the barriers to food justice are in your community and think about steps

More Information

Local Food in your Community
Find local farmers, butchers, CSAs, Farmers Markets, and more at Local Harvest.

Seafood Buying Guide, Food and Water Watch
A guide to seafood choices that are better for your health, the environment, and communities.

Community Food Security Coalition
Join the ComFood listserv to keep up with local food issues, resources, and events around the country and the CFSC Policy listserv to receive policy updates on national legislation relevant to community food issues.

Can We Afford to Eat Ethically?
An article about one woman’s experiment to see if it is possible to eat SOLE (sustainable, organic, local, and ethical) foods for a month on a food stamp budget.

Some Actions to Get You Started

Share ethical food with your community by preparing meals for soup kitchens with homegrown vegetables and donating food that is sustainably grown to food pantries.

Have your church designated as a CSA drop off site. Donate any unclaimed shares to a food pantry or soup kitchen.

Community Gardening
• Start community gardens, either on your church’s property or on vacant land in the community.
• Plant a Row for the Hungry.
• Start community gardens and test the soil for heavy metals.

Host a day of workshops for the community to increase knowledge of food and food issues. Are there members in your congregation who know how to grow vegetables? Save seeds? Cook simple, inexpensive, nutritious meals? Can? These skills can help save money and make fresh foods more accessible.

For additional resources and links to learn more, go to the Still Hungry for More Information and Ethical Eating CSAI pages.

Photos, flickr/Creative Commons: top, Corey Templeton, Deering Oaks, Maine, Farmer's Market; bottom, M. Kasahara, San Francisco, California, Farmer's Market