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.

Check out this very cool opportunity from Border Links… Sustainable Futures: We Are What We Eat Join Border Links for an educational delegation on the US-Mexico border that explores questions of food sustainability and its connections to migration, social justice,…

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)

The prophetic book of Joel is all about disasters. It is kicked off dramatically by a huge locust invasion: (1:4) What the cutting locust left, the swarming locust has eaten. What the swarming locust left, the hopping locust has eaten,…

This is a small point but an important one. Leviticus, again – sorry to you who are Leviticus-haters – here we have a concluding chapter, where the blessings and are laid out – the blessings as reward for good behavior,…

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…

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…

Strawberries are coming into season. At least in the warmer parts of California. As of this week, they are showing up at my farmer’s market, which is enough for me to say FAIR GAME! Of course I write this here…

Turning the Tables on the Food Crisis! The US Food Sovereignty Alliance launched on World Food Day 2010. Since October, representatives from member organizations have been dialogueing with grassroots organizations, faith groups and coalitions primarily in the United States, but very much linked to the global movement for food sovereignty. The Presbyterian Hunger Program has been an active member since its beginnings as the US Food Crisis Working Group. PHP has assisted as the ad-hoc coalition, which formed in reaction to the 2008 global food crisis, formalizes and invites groups to join in an alliance to remake sustainable food economies everywhere so they serve people, both consumers and producers. Theologians from around the world were invited to reflect on the need to turn the tables on an often unjust food system and Sofia Oreland responded, despite the fact that she was due with her first child. Here is her reflection… Food for My Child By Sofia Oreland Sweden Theologian and Policy Advisor, Education and Mobilization, Church of Sweden I gave birth to a child, Baby Brother (Lillebror, the name his sister gave him).

AND A PRAYER. Great God, you have created us in your image, and imprinted upon us your attributes. You have created us to be creators, you have created us to be creative. Deep in our souls is imprinted your limitless vision of this world’s fertility and abundance; sharp on our hearts is your call to exercise good stewardship and loving care over what is entrusted to us. We feel the true goodness of the world you have created And the particular goodness of our little corner of the world. We are standing on holy ground; ought we to have removed our shoes? Great God, Into your servants breathe the inspiration of your holy spirit, Scrub away whatever is covering your image hidden inside. Allow us to pray and to think and to speak from that place of creativity, of wisdom, of love and tender care. Be in our work, and in our play. Be love in our hearts today. In the strong name of Jesus Christ we pray, Amen.