Food Justice Movement Essay

Food is an important cultural and economic subject for communication studies. American food narratives communicate far past the nutritional value of what you see on a plate. There are deep connections to food discourse as it relates to the political, social and economic impacts of the America’s food history. Analyzing the discourse of food is important because it helps us look at the societal level communication of a system integral to everyday life. The longtime commercialization of the American food system has created unimaginable choice and convenience in our systems, choices that sometimes cloud our consciousness for the innumerable ways food connects us to one another. Conversations surrounding food help us re-examine these connections.
Scholars are re-imaging the influences of food through environmental, economic and cultural lenses in food discourse today. The study of food as it relates to environmentalism and sustainability is a relatively young field of work. From the shelves of the grocery store to lunches served in schools, everyday we see the impacts of a culture more concerned with food politics. The Food Justice Movement is the emerging space in food studies work responding to food insecurity and economic barriers that obstructs historically marginalized communities from consuming food that is culturally appropriate, nutritious and healthy (Alkon & Agyeman, 2011, p. 8). Food justice scholars are applying historical narratives of racial discourse to impact food politics of
We examine how food justice scholars are using Critical Race Theory to influence the discourse food production, advertising and consumption. Investigation of food production starts by discussing the impact and power of land since American colonialism, then explore the corporatization of agriculture and finally the reclamation of agriculture by people of color in the Food Justice Movement. Influenced by the corporatization of American agriculture, we move to explore the use of racial narratives and exploitation in food advertising. Food advertising helps us show narratives surrounding race and food. Food advertising can be seen as both the product of and an influencer of narratives of consumption. Finally, we discuss food consumption and the impacts of food discourse on health outcomes. Challenging food consumption discourse is connected to food justice scholar’s exploration of structural inequalities of health