Food Apartheid in African American Community
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Food Apartheid in African American Community
Food apartheid is a segregated system that marginalizes people from accessing enough nutritious food due to a poor governance system characterized by systemic injustice. The constitution states the right to basic needs, and that includes food, but in America, African American community has been reading this right but not living according to it. Gripper et al. (2022) state that food apartheid results from racism and politicking, and, as a result, socioeconomic injustices arise, affecting low-earning black communities.
Before the term ‘food apartheid’ was coined by Karen Washington, areas associated with food insecurity were referred to as ‘desert areas.' The perception built on desert areas was a natural occurrence that made these particular areas suffer food insecurity. However, this is not the case because questions about agricultural practices, land ownership, technology logistics, resource allocation and the inhuman history faced by blacks keep on haunting black communities. Food justice movements must put sustainability development in check with environmental justice. In America, farm subsidies highly benefit white farmers, and as a result, black farmers took legal action against government discrimination.
Factors Contributing to Food Apartheid
The lack of enough feeding to black communities has been there throughout history. Lately, the rates of food insecurity have shot high due to the Covid pandemic as healthy and affordable food become more challenging (Corcoran, 2021). Political, economic and social factors contribute to food apartheid. Systemic racism that roots back in history and economic inequalities affect the country's food scheme. One of the social factors is the language used to describe this issue. Food desert paints an impossible place to produce food. On the other hand, food apartheid connects the related factors and food sovereignty to provide food justice. Our verbal and written language to seek solutions must be objective and projective. For instance, the so-called desert areas are full of Latino and Black communities. Economic factors like investment disinvestment prevent the areas from developing and being independent. Furthermore, the supermarkets and groceries installed in these areas present unaffordable food choices. Politically, the federal government does not include Black people in farming and other agricultural products by providing support as they do to white people.
Cultural Competence and Bias Influence on Food Apartheid
Cultural competence is respecting every culture and addressing couched bias, thereby playing the role of practicing equality. Black communities face bias as the government has a preference for white people. Biasness is connected to norms and values followed in history. However, evolution, freedom and the need for equality have seen communities come together and achieve a lot. Despite the positive actions of promoting cultural competence and eradicating bias, food insecurity, among other social issues, is negatively affecting black communities. Food apartheid is rooted in white supremacy, which is mostly embedded in the food production chain (Gripper et al., 2022). However, the over-representation of the white community goes unnoticed and unnamed by white people as they are the key beneficiaries. Racism, in color terms, builds a social construct that leads to violent and real effects. Being white or black are historical ideologies based on beliefs, values, norms and power. The construct has further resulted in the unequal distribution of privileges and developed supremacist behavior among white people.
Moral Claims on Food Apartheid
Food justice stakeholders present moral claims on food apartheid, which are ethically justifiable. Economic-wise, black community areas are characterized by supermarket redlining. That is a race-based setting up of marketplaces (supermarkets) where large entrepreneurs disincline locating their stores in low-income areas where Black people reside. The disinvestment practice is associated with food access, with business people disregarding these areas due to cited low-profit margins and accelerated crime rate (Mayorga et al., 2022). However, the reality is that Black communities are overlooked and underserved. Access to good food is a right and a claim regarding food insecurity. The current food schemes, logistics and production processes negatively impact Black communities. Food justice is the ability of society to produce, sell and consume nutritious, locally and culturally appropriate food. Therefore, the government owes a moral obligation and an ethical right as they contribute directly to people’s lifestyles.
Ethical Dilemma on Food Apartheid
When food justice is mentioned, the Black communities are not represented enough, and the response is that Black people are not into farming and mostly play music and basketball. According to the Public Health Code of Ethics, equity and health justice are necessities for human survival. Human existence and growth need social conditions and resources to present and secure balanced opportunities based on food justice. Organizations and public health experts have an ethical obligation to promote food justice among marginalized communities (Joyner et al., 2022). Is the notion true about blacks that they do not like farming, so it cannot be forced on them? Not really, according to activist Washington, there is an unequal gap in food security, and this inequality is influenced by color as the racism factor. Responsibility and environmental concerns are part of the ethical principles. Promoting health justice by considering institutional and structural levels would be feasible. The Black community needs awareness, education on farming and the necessary resources to be self-provident.
Public Health Role on Food Apartheid
According to Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Public Health Code of Ethics states that humans have a right to necessary resources for health. Therefore, the authorities and public health scope are responsible for ensuring healthy living conditions that stem from feeding. The continued preferential treatment of white farmers with federal subsidies and being offered first opportunities have resulted in the backsliding of marginalized communities. We must select and promote the essential need for every community to promote public health. Therefore, focusing on food production and addressing systemic racism and economics will see the country produce enough food in respective areas (Corcoran, 2021). The structure of a community is also a primary factor in promoting food security. Social structures affect many health aspects and provide a foundation for preventive strategies for food security. The potential consequences for making the right decision to end systemic racism are the creation of self-sustained communities, health promotion and poverty reduction.
Public Health Professional Role in Food Apartheid
In the context of decision-making, public health professionals reconcile moral claims and public health ethics, exercising fairness, respect and acknowledgment to everyone. Adhering to honesty in adverts and other representations of food products meant for the public. Health professionals reconcile by engaging in charitable causes, respecting diversity, exercising sustainable measures, and promoting healthy lifestyles (O'Hara & Toussaint, 2021). There is no room for ignorance or overlooking anymore because we must address poverty by providing short-term and long-term solutions. Giving out free food to people will not fix food apartheid; we have to educate people on the value of food cost and how to produce their food. Also, real talk about actual food must begin in low-income areas to understand the relationship between food and health.
References
Corcoran, M. P. (2021). Beyond ‘food apartheid’: Civil society and the politicization of hunger in New Haven, Connecticut. Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems, 6(1), e20013. https://doi.org/10.1002/uar2.20013
Gripper, A. B., Nethery, R., Cowger, T. L., White, M., Kawachi, I., & Adamkiewicz, G. (2022). Community solutions to food apartheid: a spatial analysis of community food-growing spaces and neighborhood demographics in Philadelphia. Social Science & Medicine, 310, 115221. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.115221
Joyner, L., Yagüe, B., Cachelin, A., & Rose, J. (2022). Farms and gardens everywhere but not a bite to eat? A critical geographic approach to food apartheid in Salt Lake City. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 11(2), 67-88. https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2022.112.013
Mayorga, S., Underhill, M., & Crosser, L. (2022). “I Hate That Food Lion”: Grocery Shopping, Racial Capitalism, and Everyday Disinvestment. City & Community, 21(3), 238–255. https://doi.org/10.1177/15356841221091811
O'Hara, S., & Toussaint, E. C. (2021). Food access in crisis: Food security and COVID- 19. Ecological Economics, 180, 106859. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2020.106859