Access to nutritious food is a human right. However, there is a serious discrepancy in the world between access and availability of food. The UN World Food Programme reported that 1/8th of the world population (870 million people) is chronically undernourished and 2 billion are micronutrient deficient. At the same time, 1.4 billion people worldwide are overweight. In addition, climate change is endangering food security and has many negative implications for agricultural production due to increased environmental stress including drought, heat, and shifts in water availability, with areas currently suffering from food insecurity most at risk. Extreme events are already more frequent and severe and will continue to increase.
We have an imperative to effectively implement sustainable, long-term solutions to keep the world within global limits and thereby ensuring livelihood for us and future generations. In order to do this we need to work to meet food production needs of a growing and changing population, and minimize the effect of food production on climate.
Source: UUA Office @ UN
Resources
- Food for Thought and Action: a Food Sovereignty Curriculum: a free, four-module curriculum from Grassroots International on how the food system works, its failures, and hopeful alternatives
- Ethical Eating and Food Justice: resources and actions for UUs on fair trade, labor, local food, and other ethical eating and food justice concerns, curated by UUMFE
- Reports from Farmworker Justice: a series of cutting-edge reports on the many issues faced by agricultural workers
Conversation with Sam Mace of Save Our wild Salmon and Elliott Moffett and Julian Matthews of the Niimipuu/Nez Perce, Feb. 18, 1 pm
Thursday, Feb. 18th 1pm Pacific / 4pm Eastern RSVP TODAY
We celebrate Representative Simpson's courage. The people of the Pacific NW have shifted culture by taking visible actions to protect what we love, because the fate of our beloved resident orca depends on salmon from the Columbia-Snake River ecosystem. By breaching the dams - removing the earthen berm barriers impeding a free flowing Snake - scientists believe we can significantly impact runs of wild salmon. These salmon are critical food for the Salish Sea's resident orca. We have always acknowledged that the farmers and shippers who depend on the River need to be part of a recovery plan: Hear some of our talking points in this short video at a Human Orca Mural we did in Spokane. Learn more about Grain Train and how it can help farmers along the Snake in this Conversation we had with Ken Casavant, awhile back. Check out Rep Simpson's Legislative Framework Stay updated on this issue with our friends at Save Our wild Salmon Check out the extensive article by Lynda Mapes of the Seattle Times Thanks to Representative Simpson's leadership - as well as much work by grassroots organizers, including Elliott Moffett, Julian Matthews (Nimiipuu/Nez Perce); Joseph Bogaard and Sam Mace (SOS); Michelle Seidelman in Portland; and many others, we are celebrating the future of a wild Snake River, with benefits for all.
Feeling Powerless About Coronavirus? Join a Mutual Aid Network
New York Times - Washington Post - LA Magazine - Boston Magazine
Mutual aid is a form of community and political action - it’s when neighbors work to collectively take care of each other, in recognition that solidarity and interconnected survival is absolutely crucial. Mutual aid has been a long-standing practice, especially for Black, Indigenous, and immigrant communities systematically harmed by and neglected by the state. It is about helping others without judgment, strings, or means-testing, and fighting for a future of collective care and solidarity.
Food Justice Film Festival 2020
Food is a big deal and the films presented in this festival will reveal the link between environmental injustice, climate change, food insecurity and white supremacy. The award-winning films will include "Gather," "Invisible Vegan," "Dolores" and "Urban Root". In addition the films, there will be interviews with the filmmakers themselves. Each film will be available for 24 hours each day of the festival timeframe. And, they are free! Sponsored by The Center for Biological Diversity.
REGISTRATION & MORE INFO
Webinar on Agriculture, Food and Climate
On September 15 a webinar on agriculture, food and climate will cover issues of land use, soil policies, food supply, environmental justice and climate change. The webinar is sponsored by the EU Delegation to the U.S. (European Union Embassy) in DC. Registration is free, at https://events.euintheus.org/events/bringing-farmers-to-the-table-agriculture-climate-economy-and-equity/?sf128592465=1
28 Organizations Promoting Indigenous Food Sovereignty
The world's Indigenous Peoples face severe and disproportionate rates of food insecurity. While Indigenous Peoples comprise 5 percent of the world's population, they account for 15 percent of the world's poor, according to the World Health Organization. But through seed saving initiatives, financial support, mentorship, and community feeding programs, many organizations are working to protect Indigenous food sovereignty—the ability to grow, eat, and share food according to their own traditions and values. Read more here.