Uprooting Racism, Seeding Sovereignty

After watching the Soul Fire Farm Virtual Keynote "Uprooting Racism, Seeding Sovereignty" I was able to gain a better understanding of the United States food system and how it is rooted in stolen land and exploited labor. Racial disparities are very present within American society and have been since the beginning.  One example of this would be the discriminatory practice of redlining that began in the 1930's. This practice denied citizens of color access to a quality education and fresh food. It is clear that history continues to repeat itself and important for us to take action. According to the video, 98% of the rural land in the United States is white owned, which is an extremely high and unfair percentage. Like Leah Penniman, the co-director and farm manager of Soul Fire Farm stated, "Food gets to our plates through a system of deprivation"and we must put an end to it. 

There are several actions we could take to meaningfully contribute to uprooting racism/ seeding sovereignty in the food system. One way we could take action is by helping those many who are food insecure. Access to food is inconsistent at best due to the fact that several individuals live in food deserts. When people lack access to healthy and fresh food, it can lead to disease and illness. Another way we could take action is by supporting farmers, but specially farmers of color. Throughout the years the U.S Department of Agriculture racially discriminated against people of color, which led to a large decline in black farmers. All farmers deserve protection, livable wages, and the right to a healthy work environment The last action that I am going to mention is the redistribution of land to the Native Americans. For years the government has decided to ignore indigenous wisdom and aim their focus on racial capitalism. Instead of our goal being based on domination, we should focus on inclusion and diversity within the environment/food system. Looking back to "Nature as a Community: The Convergence of Environmental and Social Justice" by Giovanna Di Chiro, we can use Principles of Environmental Justice Preamble "to respect and celebrate each of our cultures, languages and beliefs about the natural world and our roles in healing ourselves; to insure environmental justice "(307). We can apply environmental ethics by placing a moral obligation to the natural world and to all forms of life that live within it. Additionally, we must extend this responsibility to the future generations that will hurt if we do not make a change.