How health-conscious urban gardeners aim to increase vegetable consumption in their community while simultaneously supporting Black entrepreneurship
While the food justice movement was initially associated with increasing availability of fresh produce in low-income communities of color through institutions such as farmers markets, scholars have critiqued this as imposing a right way of eating. Food justice scholarship has moved away from a fo...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Lyson Center for Civic Agriculture and Food Systems
2021-03-01
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| Series: | Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development |
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| Online Access: | https://www.foodsystemsjournal.org/index.php/fsj/article/view/944 |
| _version_ | 1797763258859388928 |
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| author | Rachel Soper |
| author_facet | Rachel Soper |
| author_sort | Rachel Soper |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | While the food justice movement was initially associated with increasing availability of fresh produce in low-income communities of color through institutions such as farmers markets, scholars have critiqued this as imposing a right way of eating. Food justice scholarship has moved away from a focus on healthy eating toward a focus on community economic development, as food enterprises can stimulate job creation. This paper investigates the dual goals of the food justice movement through a case study in San Diego. While food justice has moved beyond promoting a love of produce and is increasingly oriented toward good jobs, for the urban gardeners in this study, the movement is still a lot about vegetables. They see food as medicine, and note the health benefits of moving toward a plant-based diet. Yet, they are reluctant to push this way of eating on others, as they do not want to come across as elitist. Instead, they spread awareness that plant-based diets are an African tradition that should not just be associated with rich white folks. Rather than leading with nutrition, they lead with tradition, taste, and buying Black. To encourage consumption of vegetables, they aim to increase the supply of prepared food options in the community, and to market dishes as delicious rather than healthy, all the while supporting Black food entrepreneurs. When selling produce direct to the consumer through farmers markets does not achieve their vision of promoting health or supporting livelihoods, they re-imagine a strategy of promoting food justice through a neighborhood food supply chain. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T19:40:00Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0db822153b684623b9e6d0a75fbb766e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2152-0801 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T19:40:00Z |
| publishDate | 2021-03-01 |
| publisher | Lyson Center for Civic Agriculture and Food Systems |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development |
| spelling | doaj.art-0db822153b684623b9e6d0a75fbb766e2023-08-02T03:54:52ZengLyson Center for Civic Agriculture and Food SystemsJournal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development2152-08012021-03-0110210.5304/jafscd.2021.102.029How health-conscious urban gardeners aim to increase vegetable consumption in their community while simultaneously supporting Black entrepreneurshipRachel Soper0California State University, Channel IslandsWhile the food justice movement was initially associated with increasing availability of fresh produce in low-income communities of color through institutions such as farmers markets, scholars have critiqued this as imposing a right way of eating. Food justice scholarship has moved away from a focus on healthy eating toward a focus on community economic development, as food enterprises can stimulate job creation. This paper investigates the dual goals of the food justice movement through a case study in San Diego. While food justice has moved beyond promoting a love of produce and is increasingly oriented toward good jobs, for the urban gardeners in this study, the movement is still a lot about vegetables. They see food as medicine, and note the health benefits of moving toward a plant-based diet. Yet, they are reluctant to push this way of eating on others, as they do not want to come across as elitist. Instead, they spread awareness that plant-based diets are an African tradition that should not just be associated with rich white folks. Rather than leading with nutrition, they lead with tradition, taste, and buying Black. To encourage consumption of vegetables, they aim to increase the supply of prepared food options in the community, and to market dishes as delicious rather than healthy, all the while supporting Black food entrepreneurs. When selling produce direct to the consumer through farmers markets does not achieve their vision of promoting health or supporting livelihoods, they re-imagine a strategy of promoting food justice through a neighborhood food supply chain.https://www.foodsystemsjournal.org/index.php/fsj/article/view/944Food JusticeHealthLivelihoodCommunity GardenUrban AgricultureFarmers Market |
| spellingShingle | Rachel Soper How health-conscious urban gardeners aim to increase vegetable consumption in their community while simultaneously supporting Black entrepreneurship Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development Food Justice Health Livelihood Community Garden Urban Agriculture Farmers Market |
| title | How health-conscious urban gardeners aim to increase vegetable consumption in their community while simultaneously supporting Black entrepreneurship |
| title_full | How health-conscious urban gardeners aim to increase vegetable consumption in their community while simultaneously supporting Black entrepreneurship |
| title_fullStr | How health-conscious urban gardeners aim to increase vegetable consumption in their community while simultaneously supporting Black entrepreneurship |
| title_full_unstemmed | How health-conscious urban gardeners aim to increase vegetable consumption in their community while simultaneously supporting Black entrepreneurship |
| title_short | How health-conscious urban gardeners aim to increase vegetable consumption in their community while simultaneously supporting Black entrepreneurship |
| title_sort | how health conscious urban gardeners aim to increase vegetable consumption in their community while simultaneously supporting black entrepreneurship |
| topic | Food Justice Health Livelihood Community Garden Urban Agriculture Farmers Market |
| url | https://www.foodsystemsjournal.org/index.php/fsj/article/view/944 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT rachelsoper howhealthconsciousurbangardenersaimtoincreasevegetableconsumptionintheircommunitywhilesimultaneouslysupportingblackentrepreneurship |