About food apartheid
What IS Food Apartheid?
Great question!
Food apartheid is a system of segregation that divides those with access to an abundance of nutritious food and those who have been denied that access due to systemic injustice. The term was coined by food sovereignty leader Karen Washington to illuminate the root causes behind what the U.S. government calls “food deserts,” where limited access to affordable, healthy food is driven by systemic racism and leads to increased rates of chronic disease in Black communities.
Sister Karen Washington coined this term in the '90s to distinguish the difference between a naturally occurring phenomenon (desert) and a man-made situation (Apartheid). By reframing the narrative of food injustice, we are able to focus on the fact that Food "deserts" a.k.a food Apartheid is completely man-made as are the solutions to combatting it.
Community activist & elder Karen Washington speaks on Food Apartheid
More About Food Apartheid
- More About Karen Washington: https://www.karenthefarmer.com/about
- University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability article: https://seas.umich.edu/news/food-desert-vs-food-apartheid-which-term-best-describes-disparities-food-access
- USDA "Food Desert" Map: https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-access-research-atlas/go-to-the-atlas/