This week we discussed the difference between food security and food sovereignty with our students. Here is what we shared! I believe food security means you get the access to healthy organic foods that you need to live longer. This in my own opinion is a basic right that you must have to survive but it is not given to us by our government. It is the right to affordable organic food that will keep you healthier than most people in poor oppressed neighborhoods. It also means having a good sufficient amount of these goods. Also being accessible to everyone in need of it. Plus you should have easy access to these things without having to drive 30mins or more for fresh fruits and veggies etc... I believe food sovereignty means having the human right to healthy culinary choices and free produce from our own agriculture systems. I also believe that it means being able to have sustainable methods to get and grow these foods that you need to survive. Plus it just means having an ecologically safe ground to plant your healthy foods on. I also believe it means just having the rights to health benefits speaking food wise. - Za'Nedra Hills, 10th grade Food security is based off of someone’s access to food. Everyone should have the availability to healthy and nutritious food all the time no matter where they live or how much money they make. Food sovereignty is someone’s right to produce culturally-appropriate food on their own. They have the right to their own systems of agriculture and the right to choose what they want for food. - Marvin Lopez, 10th grade Food Security and Food Sovereignty, what are they? Why does this matter? These are the questions I will be answering. Let's start with Food Sovereignty. Food Sovereignty is defined as the right for people to have healthy and appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods, and their right to define their own food and agriculture. This means that people have the right to health in food and can produce their own food. The food sovereignty movement is led by family farmers, and other food producers that are trying to build a local agriculture system that's safe and provides healthy food supply for all communities globally. This matters because currently our food system is dictated by the demands of markets and corporations that trade goods internationally. According to the National Family Farm Coalition, this has resulted in chronic undernutrition and rapidly rising obesity. Therefore food sovereignty mission is to resist this current food system and to distribute local grown foods to their communities. Food Security is defined as the availability or access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life. This means all people at all times have or should have physical and economic access to adequate amounts of nutritious, safe foods. This matters because of the fact that not everyone has access to safe healthy food. Especially people who live in lower income communities. We can take Berkeley as an example. In Higher income communities such as North Berkeley there is easy access to healthy foods. There are farmers markets, grocery stores, and even gardens where you can grow fruits and vegetables. However in south Berkeley there aren't many stores that provide safe healthy foods like North Berkeley does. Instead we have many corner stores that provide us with junk food, and as you know junk food isn't safe nor healthy at all. Matter of fact it can result in obesity and diabetes which is commonly found in people who are African American and Hispanic/Latino. Unfortunately we live in a society that provides different things for different social and economic classes. But I believe health and healthy food should be provided to all people no matter how rich or poor you are. -Daniel Finis Perez, 10th grade In America there is a big health problem there is a big health problem 30.3 million people have diabetes and 93.3 million people are obese. All this stems from one thing not having food security and food sovereignty and a lot of people don't know what they are. Food security in short is access to healthy food needed to stay healthy and this is most likely affecting the residents of south Berkeley right now. I know this because I’ve lived here my whole life and me and many of my friends can tell you we see unhealthy food everywhere at school and on the way back home, which is why we have to fight for healthier food. This leads me to the second topic food sovereignty which is the right to access to healthy food and the production/distribution of food this also includes locally based food systems to help stop hunger and poverty. In summary we may not have a lot of hunger or poverty here but that doesn't mean we should not enforce these things because they are important for everyone's health and future here in Berkeley. - Angel Espiritu, 10th grade
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We asked our Berkeley High students what is the difference between environmentalism and environmental justice? This is what they came up with...
Environmentalism and environmental justice are two very important topics and they have never been more relevant today. With all of the climate strikes and protests that have happened over the past few months, more and more people have been drawn to these topics and some don't know what they are. So let me explain, environmentalism is defined as concern about and action aimed at protecting the environment from pollution, deforestation, and natural disasters. Some examples of environmentalism would be an improvement to the natural environment like we’ve seen with the recent team trees movement and movement to control pollution. Now let me explain what environmental justice is, which tends to be more unknown but is something that affects all of us. Environmental justice is defined as a movement to make a healthy environment for all people regardless of race, gender, and age. Some examples of environmental justice issues are less access to healthy food, less access to transportation and pollution near lower income neighborhoods. In summary, both of these topics are important because they involve people and here at Moving South Berkeley Forward we want a healthy environment for everyone now and in the future. - Angel Espiritu, 10th grade Environmentalism is the belief that people should care about the environment. Many people are concerned with how dangerous the environment has been and they have a goal to protect it. Environmental Justice is where everyone, no matter what cultural background, has safe access to environmental services. Everyone should have equal treatment that shouldn’t have to be based on someone’s income. It should give them benefits like locally fresh produce and easy transportation. - Marvin Lopez, 10th grade Looking at what environmentalism is from an urban perspective is a movement that focus on caring for the planet and specifically concentrating on protecting communities that are impacted by pollution, toxic waste. Environmentalism is a way to bring awareness to the problems. The earth is the environment in which we live in and toxic contamination in the soil, water, and air. There are core principles that environmental problems and caring for the planet. Historically, environmentalism developed to protect the natural resources of the earth. According to the research “environmental justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.”Improve and maintain a healthy environment free from air pollution, water contaminates People have the right to clean air, water and food. The term “Environmentalism” is used when someone wants to help improve the environment or embrace its beauty. Meaning we want to improve the community to bring out its true beauty we must do this because we're concerned for it. Environmentalism is a very important development mint in this community has considering the past with Santa Fe right away. -Za'Nedra Hills, 10th grade |