Food and Faith Andrew Kang Bartlett, Author at Food and Faith

April 29, 2011

Food Justice: Rooted in the Bible & Rocking Our World

Posted 3:18pm

Calls for food justice and food sovereignty are echoing around world. From landless farmers in Brazil to seed savers in India, from urban farms in Oakland to affordable produce drop-offs in Cleveland, from agroecological farms around Lake Victoria in Kenya to farmer-owned cooperatives in Wisconsin, the sprouting of sustainable and just food systems is as sure as spring rains. Hundreds of PCUSA congregations are joining the movement—opening their kitchens, digging food gardens, hosting farmers markets, and advocating forfair food policies. Sixteen Food Justice Fellows, comprised of pastors, urban agriculturalists, grassroots advocates and students, have begun their work together and in their own communities. The Fellows will develop their own personal agrarian/food justice faith statements to more deeply ground their work. The idea came from participants of the HEART trip and the Presbyterian Hunger Program (PHP) is hosting this national fellowship. PHP is also hosting two Americorps*VISTAs who are supporting congregations in their efforts to bring food access to neglected parts of of our cities and states. Interested people are invited to join the Fellows, VISTAs and other Presbyterians online on the Food and Faith Groupsite to share ideas about ways you and your congregation can address inequities in your local food economy and around the world. Congregations and faith-based groups are also invited to join the US Food Sovereignty Alliance. PHP is a founding member and has been active in its development. Learn more about the Alliance here. Finally, for ideas and practical assistance, consider joining the Food Justice for All Webinars for free. Click on the webinar you wish to participate in to register. 1. May 5th 2:00-3:00pm (EDT) – Food Justice for All Webinar: Growing community through local food 2. May 12th 2:00-3:00pm (EDT) – Food Justice for All Webinar: What congregations are doing to build just and sustainable food economies 3. May 19th 2:00-3:00pm (EDT) – Food Justice for All Webinar: SNAP outreach and Summer Feeding Programs 4. May 26th 2:00-3:00pm (EDT) – Food Justice for All Webinar: What congregations are doing to build just and sustainable food economies

April 21, 2011

Setting an anti-racist table

Posted 2:30pm

Below are some great articles and organizations from “Setting the Anti-Racist Table,” ~ conversations on recognizing racism, white privilege, and counteracting oppression in communities of color, as expressed in the commerce and culture of food. These conversations are happening on…

April 20, 2011

Banning documentation of farm animals abuse would make farmworkers more vulnerable

Posted 2:28pm

Posted by Harvesting Justice – the blog of Farmworker Justice | 19 Apr 2011 08:42 AM PDT Written by Jessica Felix-Romero The New York Times published an article on April 13th titled States Look to Ban Efforts to Reveal Farm Abuse in which reporter A.G. Sulzberger writes about pending legislation to criminalize taking or distributing photos or videos taken at agricultural facilities without the express permission of the facility management. The proposed law has a primary focus on stopping animal rights activists from exposing illegal or inhuman treatment of animals. However, this type of legislation has significant repercussions for farmworkers. Farmworker Justice invited attorney Melody Fowler-Green to blog on the potential impacts restricting video collection would have on farmworkers who are often working in isolated settings with limited ability to document violations of law or abuse that they experience.

April 18, 2011

Participate in the Presbyterians for Earth Care Conference

Posted 8:23pm

Presbyterians for Earth Care (PEC) is a member-based, grassroots, non-profit eco-justice network. PEC is holding its national conference August 31 – September 3, 2011, at Highlands Presbyterian Camp and Retreat Center in Allenspark, Colorado. The theme for 2011 is “God’s…

April 17, 2011

Count on me: the World Hunger Clock and the Golden Rule

Posted 5:13pm

This past week, the World Bank began its Spring Meetings with the primary focus: The food crisis. In an effort to visualize the too-often invisible victims of this crisis, the World Bank installed a “World Hunger Clock” that counts not…

April 6, 2011

Photos of World Communion of Reformed Churches justice gathering in Immokalee

Posted 5:22pm

Recording live on the low-power FM radio in the Coalition of Immokalee’s community center. (Left to Right) Dora from Cuba, Mattias from Switzerland and Antonella from Italy spoke with Rev. Miguel Estrada, Guatemalan pastor and director of the nearby Mision…

April 2, 2011

Farm workers inspire (and feed) the world

Posted 2:40pm

On Thursday, a special group of folks from around the world joined in a spirited protest with farm workers from the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), students and people of faith from various churches in the area. The protest took place in front of a Publix supermarket in Naples, Florida. The CIW has been asking Publix to work with them to end poverty wages and abuses in the fields. Pictured is Dr. Aruna Gnanadason from India, who is one of 30 people gathered for a Justice Reading consultation with the World Council of Reformed Churches here in Fort Myers. We spent the first day together with the farm workers in Immokalee to ground our consultation in current justice issues of worker exploitation, mistreatment of immigrants and modern-day slavery. (See the press release from the WCRC on the protest) * Here are photos and story from Naples Daily News – “Farmworkers target Publix in protest over wages and working conditions” * Here are photos and videos from the Coalition’s recent “Do the right thing tour!” * Find out how to act in support in the farm workers’ Campaign for Fair Food During our “immersion” day with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, we heard the history of the CIW and the farm workers’ struggle and amazing organizing to claim their rights and dignity. We walked through the town seeing the ridiculously-expensive RVs that many of the farm workers rent on a weekly basis. And we saw the solidarity and service center Mision Peniel.

March 29, 2011

Food sovereignty for us dummies

Posted 2:48pm

If you have heard the term – FOOD SOVEREIGNTY – and not known what they heck it is, take heart because you are not alone. But our friends at Grassroots International and the National Family Farm Coalition have come to the rescue. Now you can hear U.S. and international family farmers talk about what food sovereignty is to them – simply! And you if you can read it in your mother tongue, if that happens to be English, Spanish or Portugese. (French is coming soon)

March 11, 2011

Fair Food Webinar and GoToMeeting

Posted 5:13pm

Some of you joined the Fair Food: Field to Table webinar this week and heard about various efforts by farm workers, farmers and distributors to bring justice to the food system. You can see the Fair Food-Field to Table-Webinar NOTES…

March 9, 2011

2012 Farm Bill & Urban Agriculture?

Posted 5:16pm

2012 Farm Bill Conversation: Urban Agriculture By K. RASHID NURI via www.louisvillegrows.org In the State of the Union address, President Obama talked about encouraging food exports when just the opposite may be needed to solve food insecurity and repair our…

Posts By: Andrew Kang Bartlett