Biscuits and Ballots? Food and Politics.
The food industry is captivating because it is involved in everything and if not absolutely everything then it certainly is something that every single person takes part in.
Food.
Such a simple word but often times we don’t think about all the triumphs that go into getting so many people fed a day. I was blessed to grow up in the United States and using that as an example think about how incredible (albeit flawed as well) our food infrastructure is. I can walk into a number of places and have a wide selection of food commodities. Not only that, I can have a high degree of certainty that food is safe for me as well. This is just an astounding triumph of logistics, transportation, infrastructure, engineering, food science the list goes on and on. Food is saturated in almost everything we do. Food shapes the future and more and more the ballots.
Yes even politics.
Politics may not be what comes to mind when we think about the food industry. However, food, notably big food has gotten increasingly political over the last few decades with huge corporations getting larger and able to extend their influence into all areas. Food industries donating large amounts to campaigns and spending millions to lobby for laws has become very commonplace.
So naturally with food playing an increasingly important role on the landscapes of politics. As political wars rage over pollution, small business farms, tax cuts, ect a new wave of political leaders is emerging.
A few weeks ago I came across an article from Civil Eats where I was introduced to Brandy Brooks.
Brandy Brooks has roots in The Food Project, a sustainable agriculture organization in Boston and a food justice nonprofit in D.C, Dreaming Out Loud. Brooks has been a long time champion of local food, sustainability, and food justice and she is bringing all that passion on the campaign trail.
Brooks says that she wants to talk about food “ in a more systemic context, that has to do with the economy, and with political decisions about which communities get resources.” In the Civil Eats article Brook’s campaign is cited for “calling for better farmland access in the county, support for small-food-business entrepreneurs, and culturally appropriate food assistance services. And she links healthy food access to meeting other basic needs, such as access to transportation, housing, and freedom from discrimination.”
Brandy Brooks is running for an at-large seat on the Montgomery County Council in Maryland and the primary election on June 26th, 2018. Brooks is just one of the many people that have emerged as champions for helping our food infrastructure socially and politically!
Visit Brandy Brooks website here to learn all about her campaign. Food and politics is an intersection that is not all that familiar with me, but I am looking forward to delving more into the subject this year!
As always leave comments and recommendations about anything in the food industry you think is cool or to say hey. Stay cool Medium.
