If you happen to believe the saying, “you are what you eat,” then some might find it refreshing to think of themselves as a wholesome green apple ripe for the picking or strangely exotic like a romanesco cauliflower or strong as an ox after devouring a piece of meat. But the food we eat is not always what it seems. Sometimes it’s created in labs, injected with chemicals and genetically engineered. At times we are left to guess what’s in our food despite a desire and, what many of us feel is, our right to know.
A recent survey by the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Pennsylvania found that 88 percent of Americans support mandatory labeling of food with genetically modified organisms (GMO). The issue has been hotly debated at the local and state level for several years and recently landed on the national agenda. On July 14 Congress passed a GMO labeling bill which was signed into law on July 29, 2016.
We Want Answers!
While an overwhelming majority of the public is united around GMO labeling, it’s just one of many food issues people care about. In February, Food Tank, a global nonprofit organization focused on changing the food system, sent a list of 10 food policy questions to the 2016 presidential candidates.
Here is a sampling:
• How would you support small and medium-sized organic farmers?
• What would you do to ensure that every American has access to food that is sustainable, safe, healthy and affordable?
Food Tank has yet to receive a response from either candidate. Danielle Nierenberg, president and founder of Food Tank, believes the candidates are missing an opportunity. “You have a constituency that now more than ever is interested in more than just the personal aspects of food consumption including local food or going to their farmers market. You would think these candidates would take this as an opportunity to address some of the things voters already care about,” Nierenberg said.
Food is central to the well-being of almost every American and the food industry employs millions of workers. Yet despite its importance to personal health and the economy, none of the major parties have a food platform and there is little talk about this issue on the campaign trail. This inspired several groups to collaborate and form Plate of the Union, a grassroots organization calling for presidential action to fix the nation’s food system. “We need to make sure food as an issue is on the front burner for the candidates,” declared Plate of the Union organizer, Jose Oliva.
In July the organization joined the campaign trail in a food truck that made stops at the Republican and Democratic national conventions. Instead of selling gourmet grub, this truck is dishing out food policy and engaging people in discussions about farming practices, healthy food and fair wages for farm workers. The truck is currently on the road visiting battleground states. “The idea is to raise issues not being talked about on the campaign trail,” Oliva explained, “We also want to try and get candidates to address these topics. We want food to become a political issue.”
Are You a Food Voter?
As the Plate of the Union truck travels the country, there has been talk of an emerging voting group called the food voter. According to TriplePundit, a global media platform focused on people, planet and profit, food voters are passionate about issues such as sustainability, food sourcing and health claim authenticity.
Jose Oliva of Plate of the Union, insists that everyone is a potential food voter. Nationwide polling done by his organization found that people of different ages, backgrounds and political ideologies agree that politicians need to take action to reform the nation’s food system. For example one poll result found that 81% of people are concerned that the government tells the public to eat lots of fruits and vegetables, but less than 1 percent of farm subsidies go towards these items.
Take a Stand
Priscilla Amado is a food coop member, food voter and a self-described food activist. In 2013 she took a break from living in New York and spent a year on her father’s farm in Cape Verde. It was there while surrounded by nature that Amado underwent what she calls a “transformational experience.” She returned to New York determined to raise awareness around food issues. “A lot of people I interacted with while doing my community organizing work had no idea what GMOs were.” Amado explains, “That was alarming to me so I wanted to create a healing space in my neighborhood where people could come and interact with nature.”
Amado took action and co-founded the grassroots collective, The Organic Food for the People Project. The group conducts food demonstrations and workshops on food politics. Amado would like to see food issues play a prominent role during the presidential election but thinks change has to start at the local level. “There has to be a public outcry and that’s why it has to be grassroots.” Amando continues, “There has to be a demand for change and it has to be so compelling that it challenges and forces politicians to deal with these issues.”
Is the Movement Ready?
More people around the country are voting with their dollars and buying better food. They are shopping at farmers’ markets, joining CSA’s and becoming members of food coops. Alex Beauchamp of Food and Water Watch believes all this is great but it’s not enough. “There are real policy problems that are not going to be solved by shopping.” Beauchamp said. “We are not going to shop our way out of it; it’s going to take real political action.” It’s also going to take time as the food movement gets bigger, becomes more confrontational and takes more action in the streets. At this stage the food movement doesn’t appear to be big enough to break through during this presidential election, but some activists think it’s only a matter of time