Movements come in many forms—from advocating for LGBTQ+ rights and protecting Indigenous sovereignty to empowering youth, advancing gender equality, and defending human rights. Whatever drives your activism, it’s connected to the fight to end hunger.
As WhyHunger marks its 50th anniversary, we’re facing a sobering reality: the stakes have never been higher. With deepening inequality, climate crises, and massive recent cuts to federal support systems, hunger is on the rise across America. But here’s what five decades of work has taught us—every movement for justice is part of the same fight.
How Your Cause Connects to Food Justice
Human Rights
- Access to nutritious food is a fundamental human right, yet millions are denied this basic dignity daily
- Advancing human rights means supporting global social movements transforming food systems for all
Climate Justice
- Industrial agriculture pollutes our water sources, destroys our soil, and exploits workers. It also accounts for roughly 30% of greenhouse gases and commodity crops that don’t make it to people’s plates.
- Agroecology is an alternative approach that blends Indigenous wisdom with scientific knowledge to create resilient food systems—protecting biodiversity and creating sustainable livelihoods for farmers and communities.
Black Food Sovereignty
- Black communities have lost over 90% of their farmland due to systemic racism and discriminatory policies
- Supporting Black liberation means helping restore land, resources, and power to communities building food justice
- Read our definition of food sovereignty here, and learn more about Black food sovereignty in this video
Women’s Rights
- Women farmers and producers grow up to 80% of food globally but are often denied resources, equity, and decision-making power
- Advancing women’s equality means ensuring those who feed the world have the support and resources they deserve
- Learn about the Rural Women’s Assembly and their work towards feminist agroecology practices
Indigenous Justice
- Indigenous communities are reclaiming ancestral lands and reviving traditional foodways through food sovereignty movements
- Defending Indigenous rights means supporting the restoration of sustainable food systems rooted in cultural knowledge and advancing Indigenous food sovereignty
- Learn about ACOPAMO, an Indigenous cooperative using agroecological practices to nourish their communities and build collective power
Labor/Workers’ Rights
- Many who grow, harvest, and prepare our food face exploitation, unsafe conditions, and poverty wages
- 86% of U.S. agricultural workers are foreign-born, and nearly half are undocumented, yet their contributions are undervalued and they have limited or no pathways to citizenship
- Supporting worker justice means advocating for fair treatment, living wages, and labor protections across the entire food chain
LGBTQ+ Rights
- LGBTQ+ individuals face disproportionately high rates of food insecurity due to discrimination and economic marginalization
- Supporting LGBTQ+ equality means ensuring everyone has access to nutritious food without fear or barriers
Youth Empowerment
- Young people are leading innovative food justice solutions in their communities across the country
- Investing in youth empowerment means building the next generation of changemakers who will end hunger at its roots
Hunger isn’t caused by food scarcity—it’s fueled by the same systems of oppression that every movement for justice is fighting to change. Poverty, racism, sexism, and structural inequities create barriers to food and land access that deny opportunity and threaten the nourishment of entire communities.
For 50 years, WhyHunger has understood this connection. We’ve supported social movements led by grassroots communities to change the systems, policies, and institutions that perpetuate hunger and poverty. Our global programs have strengthened sustainable food systems and connected millions of people to nutritious food—because we know that real solutions come from the communities most affected.
No matter what your “why” is, teaming up with WhyHunger brings us all closer to climate justice, racial equity, human rights, and a more just, nourished world. Your passion has a purpose in this fight, and together, we can create the bold vision we need: a hunger-free world where everyone’s right to nutritious food is protected.
Take action through our 50th anniversary campaign.
