Critical Food Systems Education and the Question of Race

Abstract

Studies of food systems education have largely avoided questions concerning race. In this commentary, we interrogate the racial assumptions behind certain food systems education projects. Food systems educators are often motivated by a whitened cultural desire to "bring good food to others" and see garden-based learning projects, which seek to instill healthy nutritional behaviors, as the solution to the problem of purported food deserts. We argue that food systems education is in need of a critical intervention. In this commentary, we propose critical food systems education (CFSE) as a theoretical framework, set of pedagogies, and vision for policy that moves beyond teaching students about the food system, and helps them realize their potential to structurally transform it through collective action. The CFSE perspective is theoretically grounded in food justice, food sovereignty, political agroecology, and critical

Making Visible the People Who Feed Us: Educating for Critical Food Literacy Through Multicultural Texts

“…All these areas of research can respond to the need for critical scholarship on food systems education, as articulated by scholars (e.g., Flowers & Swan, 2012;Meek & Tarlau, 2015), while also offering nuanced insights into the ways in which educators can promote critical food literacy among learners. Ultimately, citizens who demonstrate critical food literacy and engage in democratic discourse about food systems can serve as powerful agents in helping build food systems that are truly just and sustainable for all.…”

“…It is important to note, however, that there is now a growing number of alternative food systems education endeavors that aim to question and/or disrupt structural inequities that underlie food systems (Flowers & Swan, 2012;Meek & Tarlau, 2015). Examples include programs developed by the Landless Workers Movement in Brazil that encourage youth to remain in the countryside and integrate them into a collective struggle toward land reform and building just, sustainable food systems (Meek & Tarlau, 2015).…”

“…Examples include programs developed by the Landless Workers Movement in Brazil that encourage youth to remain in the countryside and integrate them into a collective struggle toward land reform and building just, sustainable food systems (Meek & Tarlau, 2015). Other examples of critical approaches include Growing Power, an urban farm and nonprofit center based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, that trains underserved youth (Walter, 2012); an undergraduate course on soul food that examined how communities of color exercise agency while also experiencing racism (Burdick, 2014); and School Grown, a gardenbased program in Toronto that employs high school students who face systemic barriers to employment (Wever, 2015).…”

Community-Campus Collaborations for Food Justice: Strategy, Successes and Challenges at a Teaching-Focused College

“…With the spread of food justice initiatives, institutions of higher education are increasingly partnering with food justice organizations for civic engagement teaching and research (Allen, 2008;Galt, Parr, Van Soelen Kim, Beckett, Lickter, & Ballard, 2013;Gray, Johnson, Latham, Tang, & Thomas, 2012;Holt-Gimenez, 2010;Levkoe et al, 2016;Meek & Tarlau, 2015;Sbicca, 2015). While the food justice movement focuses on changing policies and systems surrounding food, environment and health, in many cases, universities offer gardens, technical assistance, produce local foods, or otherwise address short-term community needs and goals (Burns & Miller, 2012;Gray et al, 2012).…”

“…These initiatives have different impacts on community members, organizations and students. As civic engagement increasingly examines power and justice, critical studies on community-campus food justice initiatives call for campuses to address racism and classism, both in the food system and as they are reproduced in partnerships (Alkon & Norgard, 2009;Meek & Tarlau 2015;Sbicca 2012Sbicca , 2015.…”