Challenging the Status Quo
Before the Cutting Board: June 21, 2024
Hey there,
Surprise! You’re getting two June roundups since I couldn’t get this out before the last day of May. Last month was yet another whirlwind the best of ways. I took another trip to New Orleans for Jazzfest, where I saw the convergence of amazing music and mouthwatering food (a bowl of Crawfish Monica and a plate of Pikliz while watching Leyla McCalla anyone?) I also returned to Chicago for a food sustainability and health summit where I connected with familiar faces and found some always-welcome inspiration. Finally, I traveled to CDMX for the first time, which unsurprisingly blew me away.
Amidst the joy and good eating, there was the devastation and horror that I’m not quite sure how anyone can avoid feeling as we continue to witness genocide and the violent, escalated destruction of Gaza. The assault on Rafah in particular seemed to draw a response from the general public on a wider scale than I have previously seen.
The anniversary of George Floyd’s murder occurred on May 25, mere days before those bombs were dropped. It was hard not to see the parallels in the public reaction. Why must we wait until we see acts of intense violence and dehumanization to even consider that those who live in systemic subjugation are human, after all?
It’s difficult to sort through these thoughts and come out of the unquestionable despair of it with an impactful alignment of intention and action. But as I simultaneously watch the education system in many US states get stripped down and gutted - the same education system that is supposed to teach future generations the histories and critical thinking skills to help us identify these nuances - I’m reminded that knowledge sharing is more important now than ever. I still believe that the starting point for change is access to information that helps us understand how our systems are designed and who they impact. So here I am, staying committed to doing that in my lane, albeit a little late sometimes.
Welcome back to Before the Cutting Board, your roundup of food + supply chain hot topics to help keep you up to speed on what’s going down with your food.
Let’s dig in.
-Last Month-
Challenging the Status Quo
Civil Eats reported late last month that the US House Committee on Agriculture passed a farm bill draft to Congress that rolls back state regulations on pesticides and limits individual legal protections from harm caused by pesticide exposure. While unlikely to pass any further through the House or Senate, the concerns surrounding this latest draft are a good reminder of why it's important to keep track of what's happening with the Farm Bill - so much of the language included dictates how we experience and access our food, as well as how its cultivated.
This domestic debate about pesticide regulation comes at a time when there is an increasing push to hold biotechnology companies accountable for the devastating health effects that have been linked to the chemicals. The Food and Environment Reporting Network and The Nation reported on Mexico's ban of genetically modified corn and the Mexican government's plan to completely phase out the use of glyphosphate. The move from Mexico - widely seen as a win for small scale farmers and a step toward food sovereignty for a staple that holds deep cultural significance - seemingly triggered consternation from the US government. The current administration, along with the biotechnology industry, has claimed that Mexico's stance is in violation of the US-Mexico-Canada trade agreement. The Nation and the Food and Environmental Reporting Network break down the back and forth between the two countries. While many pesticides remain authorized in Mexico, the decision to eschew glyphosate and a $260 billion genetically modified corn industry is a big one.
More good reads:
Egg prices are on the rise again. For a refresher on why buying eggs has felt like such a rollercoaster over the last 4 years, revisit my All About Eggs round up in the archive.
This interesting read from the Food & Environment Reporting Network covers the peak of a high value, high volume crab industry in Norway that transformed the economy of a small fishing town - making it increasingly easy to forget the environmental ghosts of Alaskan King Crab past.
-Community Spotlight-
I feel fortunate in my work to often come across inspiring food and supply chain justice organizations that are driving access and system transformation work in their communities. So I'll be switching up my format some months to highlight orgs that I think you should be aware of and support however you can.
First Nations Development Institute
First Nations Development Institute focuses on uplifting and sustaining the lifeways and economies of Native communities "through advocacy, financial support, and knowledge sharing". Not only does the nonprofit do extensive grant making for tribal governments and native organizations, but they also do extensive programming and public knowledge sharing. Among those programs is "Nourishing Native Foods & Health", which includes a series of projects helping facilitate food sovereignty and connecting both ends of the supply chain through community-driven land stewardship as well as distribution and access support. They have several avenues through which you can donate if able, or share their work.
That’s it for this month. If you enjoyed reading this, please forward to a friend. Even if you didn’t enjoy reading it, still tell your friends - misery loves company :)