Fair Trade & Social Justice

Many people choose organic food in order to protect themselves and their families from exposure to pesticides. But choosing organic also means helping to create a healthier food system for everyone, from farm to table. Far too often, discussions about pesticides in the food system exclude the men, women, and children who plant, tend, and harvest our food.

We live in a time of change, when people are questioning old assumptions and seeking new directions. In the ongoing debate over health care, social justice, and border security, there is, however, one overlooked issue that should be at the top of everyone’s agenda, from Democratic Socialists to libertarian Republicans: America’s longest war. No, not the one in Afghanistan. I mean the drug war.

The cheapest foods tend to be calorie-dense but nutritionally bankrupt—think of the bounty a five-spot furnishes from the McDonald’s dollar menu. And when straight-up access to nutritious foods is obstructed or barred to many Americans—most often those in communities of color, low-income neighborhoods, and rural areas—swinging by the drive-thru often makes the most sense.

We’ve been hearing a lot about Mexico, immigration, and trade policies in the news recently. At the same time, there seems to be a boom in the appreciation for Mexican cuisine with celebrity chefs and upscale restaurants praising the art of traditional Mexican peasant foods like the humble tortilla.