Building a Shared Vision for Food Justice

Food systems

Karen Watson

Co-CEO, Kinetic Leaders

Marie Bragg

Assistant Professor, NYU School of Medicine & NYU School of Global Public Health

Published

October 23rd, 2023

The stories behind our food are complex. What we eat, where we shop, and how much food we have are not simply personal choices. Rather, they depend on what food is produced nearby, our access to a grocery store and reliable transportation, our income, our exposure to marketing, and how much time we have to prepare meals.

These factors shape our personal narratives about food. They also contribute to shared stories that help us understand and address challenges people face when it comes to hunger, malnourishment, and obesity. And while there is a growing movement of community organizers, policymakers, researchers, and funders to advance local solutions for improving people’s access to healthy food, there’s a disconnect in how we’re talking about this work.

For example, my social media feed is full of mentions of “food justice.” Those posts cover a wide range of topics, strategies and approaches: stories about new urban farms, academic papers on local food systems, volunteering opportunities at a community garden, a push to advocate for farm workers’ rights. Research my colleagues and I have done also finds big differences in how food justice is discussed by academics, community organizations and younger generations, especially youth of color.

"We can build a more cohesive and compelling narrative: that public health depends on healthy food access, and everyone must participate in building a more just food system for all."

Karen Watson

The lack of consistency puts those of us who are working on food justice issues at a disadvantage, making it easy for a positive narrative about solutions to be overpowered by insidious advertising for unhealthy products, which often directly target youth. That’s why our team is working to build a shared, positive narrative about improving access to healthy food. How do we create that shared vision?

Focus on what motivates people. If we want people to take action or change behavior, our words must focus on something positive we can gain, not on what we want to avoid. Corporate marketing experts know this tactic, but too often in social change and public health efforts we forget it.
Reach people where they are. Be more intentional about communicating with youth, including on TikTok and other social platforms that are popular with young people. We studied nearly 400 community organizations and found that only 3 percent were active on TikTok, which is the most popular social platform among our audiences.
Collaborate better. Community organizations, researchers, advocates, and policymakers working to advance food justice must come together regularly to align their messages and goals. Strengthening the dialogue among these groups can help ensure that the important messages they share resonate with and reach more young people.