With so much going on in the Occupy Wall Street movement, it can be tricky to stay on top of the issues being discussed. But food is definitely one of those issues, as the OWS declaration states, “[corporations] have poisoned the food supply through negligence, and undermined the farming system through monopolization.” Here’s a great blog post by Slow Food USA that further explains what food has to do with the movement.
Some eye-opening graphics from the blog, A Black Girl’s Guide to Weight Loss, about the distribution of wealth in the United States, how it plays into our political system, and what it has to do with Occupy Wall Street. The blog’s creator, Erika Kendall writes, “It ties into food because corporations have been working overtime trying to prevent us from knowing about our food – everything from veggie libel laws to outright lobbying to prevent non-GMO brands from telling us they’re non-GMO – and our government isn’t protecting us.”
Here’s a sort of “how-to” guide from the Honest Meat blog on ways to turn the discontentment on Wall Street into real solutions.
Want to share your thoughts and opinions on our food system? Check out Occupy the Food System, a Facebook page dedicated to getting back in touch with our farms and food.
Chipotle has released a new video in support of America’s small farms. The video features Yeah Yeah Yeah’s Karen O covering Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings’ classic hit, “Mama, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys.”
Take a look at this op-ed on how small farmers are up against corporate meat packers with huge advertising budgets in their struggle to get the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration rule (GIPSA) passed. The rule would protect the basic rights of family farmers by preventing large packers from driving them out of business and allowing them to speak out against unfair practices.
Monday, October 24th is Food Day! There are events going on nationwide to celebrate sustainable eating, like Boston Food Swap’s Community Sourced Potluck. Attendees will sample local foods, and the best dishes with the best stories will win prizes from area companies with sustainability as their mission. Check out the Food Day website to find an event near you!
