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Presentation by University of South Carolina Professor Darcy Freedman, related to her work with Food Justice and Food Accesibility by all segments of the population, not just the affluent.
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Food Equality & Food Justice Issues in South Carolina
Darcy A. Freedman, PhD, MPHAssistant Professor
University of South Carolina, College of Social Work
Sustainable South Carolina Local Food Systems Workshop
January 29, 2010
What is Food Justice?
Food Equality and Food Justice
• FAIR distribution of the burdens and benefits of the food system
– Burdens: health, environmental, economic, social
– Benefits: health, environmental, economic, social
Food Systems Stakeholders: Farm-to-Fork
Justi
ceJustice
Food Injustices
• Health Disparities
–Obesity• SC has 6th highest
obesity rate in the nation
Source: CDC, BRFSS, 2008
Food Injustices
• Health Disparities
– Diabetes• SC has 2nd highest
diabetes rate in the nation
Source: CDC, BRFSS, 2008
Food Injustices
• Food Insecurity– At times during the year, households that are
uncertain of having, or unable to acquire, enough food to meet the needs of all their members because they had insufficient money or other resources for food. (USDA)
Food Injustices
Source: USDA, 1996-2009
Food Insecurity Rates by Household Type, 2008
13.1%
Food Injustices
• Disparities in Access– Low-income and
racial/ethnic minority populations have less access to stores selling healthy food products.
Food Injustices
• Worker Rights– Safety– Legal status– Fair wages
Questions to Consider
• Will a sustainable local food system in South Carolina replicate the same injustices as the current system?
• What can be done to ensure the burdens and benefits of our food system are more fairly distributed?
Suggestions for Promoting Food Justice
• Get the right people to the table.
• Identify key injustices to target.
• Focus on policies influencing food justice (local, state, federal).
• Support alternative routes for increasing access to healthy foods such as farmers’ markets, community gardens, or vegetable wagons.
• Evaluate intervention effects with specific focus on disproportionately burdened populations.
