The ABCs of Food Justice
WhyHunger works to break down what our work is all about…starting with our ABCs. This glossary isn’t exhaustive, but it’s a starting point for discussions on social justice, food sovereignty, and allyship within our food system especially as language and ways of being evolve. At WhyHunger we know that political education is a continuous process, this page is simply a place to start.
Agroecology: An agricultural method and way of life that marries Indigenous knowledge with modern science to produce abundant food by embracing diverse and Indigenous crops that create resilient ecosystems.
BIPOC & BIPOC Leadership: BIPOC stands for Black, Indigenous, and people of color. Pronounced “bye-pock,” this is a term specific to the United States, intended to center the experiences of Black and Indigenous groups and demonstrate solidarity between communities of color. BIPOC Leadership centers solidarity and autonomy by honoring and uplifting the wisdom of marginalized communities.
Crisis Intervention: An immediate response to an urgent issue designed to reduce damage to those affected by a crisis.
Database – WhyHunger’s Find Food Tools: We built and maintain the largest online directory of food pantries, soup kitchens, summer meals sites, government nutrition programs, and grassroots food justice organizations in the United States. It’s accessible in English and Spanish by call, text, and online search.
Using the database, WhyHunger connects people in crisis to local food and essential services that help meet their immediate health, transportation, family, and economic needs.
Exchange: When learning and resources are exchanged between small-scale farmers and grassroots partners, they grow and spread horizontally! That means that, instead of power being passed down to a community, it is shared from within the community. WhyHunger supports gatherings, educational opportunities, and training between partners all over the country and the world where knowledge and tools are exchanged.
Food Sovereignty: The right to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through sustainable methods and equitable labor practices. Simply put, food sovereignty puts communities in control of the food they grow, eat and share.
Global Solidarity: When people and communities care about and support one another in building a healthy, just society. Taking action for the good of humanity calls on us to use our power and agency to help overcome problems and divisions in our world.
Indigenous Foodways: Beyond the process of growing, preparing, and consuming food and instead embraces the holistic and cultural significance that nonhuman kin and foods play within native ideology and ways of being.
Justice: Everyone has equitable access to the resources they need to survive and thrive. That may sound broad, but at its core, we mean that all people, regardless of their race, gender, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status, deserve to enjoy a life of dignity – that includes healthy foods, a liveable wage, affordable housing and healthcare, freedom from violence, and clean air and water.
Kinship: The interconnectedness and mutual responsibility among all living beings, including humans, plants, animals, and the environment. Kinship emphasizes the understanding that all elements of the natural world are relatives and deserve respect, care, and reciprocity.
Land Defense: People who actively work to protect their lands, territories, and natural resources from harm, exploitation, environmental degradation, displacement, violence, and cultural loss.
Language Justice: WhyHunger supports grassroots organizations around the world to gather, learn, and strategize to create innovative and effective solutions to hunger. We believe that everyone has the right to express themselves in the language that most fully conveys their hopes, ideas, frustrations and questions. Translation and interpretation are necessary to make communication possible.
**Check back regularly for more food justice terms!