Food Deserts + Solidarity = Food Justice | Mickey Z.
Mickey Z. -- World News Trust
Feb. 14, 2015
“For me, I am driven by two main philosophies: know more today about the world than I knew yesterday and lessen the suffering of others. You'd be surprised how far that gets you.”
- Neil deGrasse Tyson
Embracing a life of activism means being a teacher and student at the same time. I was recently reminded of this while re-watching a talk I gave last year at the NYC March Against Monsanto. In that speech, I told the several thousand attendees how the first step in the fight against GMOs is to “not buy them.”
I can only imagine how privileged and oblivious and unhelpful my advice sounded to anyone in that crowd who lives in a food desert. For me, this can only mean one thing: Back to school.
“Low-income and low-access thresholds”
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), food deserts are defined as “urban neighborhoods and rural towns without ready access to fresh, healthy, and affordable food. Instead of supermarkets and grocery stores, these communities may have no food access or are served only by fast food restaurants and convenience stores that offer few healthy, affordable food options. The lack of access contributes to a poor diet and can lead to higher levels of obesity and other diet-related diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease.”
The USDA's Economic Research Service estimates that 23.5 million people live in food deserts and more than half of those people (13.5 million) are low-income.
Census tracts qualify as food deserts if they meet low-income and low-access thresholds:
1. They qualify as "low-income communities" based on having: a) a poverty rate of 20 percent or greater, OR b) a median family income at or below 80 percent of the area median family income; AND
2. They qualify as "low-access communities" based on the determination that at least 500 persons and/or at least 33 percent of the census tract's population live more than one mile from a supermarket or large grocery store (10 miles, in the case of non-metropolitan census tracts).
For more info, please check out and share the USDA food desert locator here.
Define “Easy”
As I re-acquainted myself with the above information, I recalled (and cringed at) how many times I’ve publicly declared something like: “It’s so easy to go vegan” or “If you buy organic, you’ll easily avoid GMOs.”
Thus, I say again: I can only imagine how privileged and oblivious and unhelpful my advice sounds to anyone who lives in a food desert.
The primary lesson here is: Check your privilege. The parallel lesson is equally as crucial: Checking our privilege requires 24/7 diligence.
If activists of all stripes become more inclusive, less arrogant, and much more willing to listen, we can learn plenty from those who endure oppression every minute of every day. From there, deep solidarity is not only possible… it’s inevitable.
#shifthappens
Mickey Z. is the author of 12 books, most recently Occupy this Book: Mickey Z. on Activism. Until the laws are changed or the power runs out, he can be found on the Web here. Anyone wishing to support his activist efforts can do so by making a donation here.
©WorldNewsTrust.com -- Share and re-post this story. Please include this copyright notice and a link to World News Trust.
Edit item Published Food Deserts + Solidarity = Food Justice by Mickey Z. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at https://worldnewstrust.com/food-deserts-solidarity-food-justice-mickey-z.
Buy these books by Mickey Z. here:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
- CreatedSaturday, February 14, 2015
- Last modifiedSunday, March 29, 2015
World Desk Activities
www.niemanlab.org/2024/04/inside-newsweek-ai-exper…
www.journalismfestival.com/programme/2024/reader-r…
Reader revenue beyond the English language – – International Journalism Festival
In the past few months, many news publishers in the US have announced layoffs. Others have tweaked or abandoned their paywalls and pursued more open models.…
phys.org/news/2024-04-surf-clams-coast-virginia-re…
Surf clams off the coast of Virginia reappear and rebound
The Atlantic surf clam, an economically valuable species that is the main ingredient in clam chowder and fried clam strips, has returned to Virginia waters…
medicalxpress.com/news/2024-04-antibiotics-reveal-…
Antibiotics reveal a new way to fight cancer
Cancer cells grow and spread by hiding from the body's immune system. Immunotherapy allows the immune system to find and attack hidden cancer cells, helping…
phys.org/news/2024-04-crucial-quantum-internet.htm…
Crucial connection for 'quantum internet' made for the first time
Researchers have produced, stored, and retrieved quantum information for the first time, a critical step in quantum networking.
medicalxpress.com/news/2024-04-women-major-complic…
Women who experience major complications during pregnancy found to have increased risk of early death years later
A team of medical researchers from the University of Texas Health Science Center, in the U.S., and Lund University, in Sweden, has found via study…
medicalxpress.com/news/2024-04-common-hiv-treatmen…
Common HIV treatments may aid Alzheimer's disease patients
Alzheimer's disease (AD) currently afflicts nearly seven million people in the U.S. With this number expected to grow to nearly 13 million by 2050, the…
medicalxpress.com/news/2024-04-adolescent-stress-p…
Study suggests adolescent stress may raise risk of postpartum depression in adults
In a new study, a Johns Hopkins Medicine-led research team reports that social stress during adolescence in female mice later results in prolonged elevation of…
Latest Stories
Electronic Frontier Foundation
- Speaking Freely: Obioma Okonkwo April 23, 2024
- Screen Printing 101: EFF's Spring Speakeasy at Babylon Burning April 23, 2024
- Podcast Episode: Right to Repair Catches the Car April 23, 2024
- U.S. Senate and Biden Administration Shamefully Renew and Expand FISA Section 702, Ushering in a Two Year Expansion of Unconstitutional Mass Surveillance April 22, 2024
The Intercept
VTDigger
- Jonathan Elwell: A new prison is nothing new April 25, 2024
- For Kevin Jones ‘everything was geared toward helping other people succeed’ April 25, 2024
- Jessica Barquist: Overdose prevention centers would provide options when people need them the most April 25, 2024
- Vermont Conversation: Surviving and escaping the Twelve Tribes cult April 24, 2024
Mountain Times -- Central Vermont
- Mountain Times -Volume 52, Number 17, April 24-20, 2024 April 24, 2024
- Weekly Horoscope — April 24-30, 2024 April 24, 2024
- Loon vs. Canada goose: A battle for Goose Poop Island April 24, 2024
- A break in the action April 24, 2024