Food Justice: What is it? Where has it been? Where is it going?

Abstract

Food justice has been described as a social concern, an economic matter, and a political problem [1]. Broadly speaking, food justice encompasses a vision of social, environmental, and economic justice; improved nutrition and health; and community activism [2]. Sometimes viewed as an amalgamation of the concerns of alternative food movements and environmental rights, food justice addresses the disproportionate burden of environmental barriers to healthy food experienced by low-income communities and communities of color [3,4]. The concept of food justice aligns itself with the goals of social justice, which demand recognition of human rights, equal opportunity, and fair treatment. Existing food justice literature calls for the mainstream, or global, food system to address issues of social justice [5].