Food Justice: Does it Matter?

Karika Phillips spoke this Thursday at a Kalamazoo Public Library event on the subject of food justice.  Her talk focused locally, stressing the importance of making fresh food available to every neighborhood of Kalamazoo. As someone who is not only raising a family in the area, but who grew up here as well, she had quite a lot to say, especially in regards to the plethora of liquor stores that replace grocery stores in the poorer sections of town.  These stores are often registered at the city and state level as 'grocery' sources, but are unregulated, leaving the availability of groceries virtually nonexistent.  In addition to eliminating food options for families who have a fixed income, they bring down the safety and standards of the community, and that is something that should concern all of us. As Karika points out, when her eight year old son is uncomfortable entering an establishment in his neighborhood, that is a problem.

What I loved about Karika's talk was her focus on community responsibility; this issue is so much greater than me worrying about how I can afford produce. This is about families in the Edison neighborhood accessing tomatoes and fruit, about the alarming number of liquor stores that deprive local families of food options, and the health of the person living across the street. As Karika said, food is about relationships. We need to care for our community members' food needs, just like we take care of our own. It broke my heart to hear stories about kindergarten students whose parents couldn't afford to buy them fresh fruit and having to eat processed food instead.
This talk really aligned with class explorations and I hope that it will make a difference to many in this community.
http://www.kpl.gov/reading-together/2014/
http://www.kalamazoocity.org/kalamazoo-farmers-market
http://www.kalcounty.com/hcs/che/kphillips.htm