Fair shares: food security and safety

Our food system is unequal: some people eat healthily and work in safety while others do not. What causes these inequalities and are we already doing enough to address them?

An early contributor, Prof. Adam Drewnowski (University of Washington) says “Fat is a class issue. Healthy diets cost more, so policies to tackle obesity must reduce economic inequality". You can download his evidence below.

Please tell us what you think by sending comments, including attachments, to Santiago Ripoll. You can read terms of reference for the Food and Fairness Inquiry here.

Comments

Submitted by ccnp training (not verified) on 4 September, 2009 - 05:32.

food safety and security is the most important but we neglect it totally

Access to healthy foods
Submitted by Maresa Bossano (not verified) on 18 August, 2009 - 16:36.

Unhealthy foods are a cheap way of getting calories, but they are not a cheap way of getting the nutrients that the body also needs to function - because they contain very few. Some healthy foods are expensive but many are not e.g. lentils, beans, rice, cabbages, carrots, etc. One of the main issues is access to healthy foods. The reason most people eat fatty, sugary, salty foods in disadavantaged areas is because they are the easiest to get hold of, and large food companies often specifically target these areas. Also many poorer households will lack the knowledge and facilities to cook food from fresh ingredients, which is generally more economical than buying takeaways or ready meals. Setting up food co-ops and other community-run food outlets which run on a not-for-profit basis can help people to access healthier foods at a cheaper price.

obesity and poverty
Submitted by tracy purbrick (not verified) on 11 August, 2009 - 13:39.

Healthy diets can be tailored to all budgets. Perhaps rather than drawing from an association and leaping to cause and effect, the author could contemplate what 3rd factor might actually link the two.

fairshare
Submitted by vicki hird (not verified) on 6 August, 2009 - 15:39.

a few random thoughts...
Assuming this means fair share now and in the future (ie for future generations), this must be the underlying thread throughout this enquiry. if we do not share the resource use (energy, land, soil, water, global climate 'commons', nutrients) and capital etc fairly and appropriately then there is never going to be fairplay or fair say. But the way in which resources are 'allocated' is based on past needs and old policies many of which date back 3 centuries. Such policies include agricultural and trade ones (CAP, etc) but as importantly land ownership, ownership of other 'commons' such as nutrients, and energy production) Tweaking with these 'ancient' culturally stagnant but powerfully held policies will never be enough. Global Institutional reform will have to happen before we see real changes and whether that comes from a global public awakening and movement building or as a result of a major catastrophe is a matter of time...I suspect i am moving onto promoting Fairsay as the primary issue here...
A big part of fairshare has to be about land and the FoE and other campaigns about meat and feeds and biofuels are central to this. I hope you're looking at their reports etc
reply

Energy consumption
Submitted by Dave Stanley (not verified) on 6 August, 2009 - 11:58.

Yes the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, globally and in the UK. The real issue I would suggest is the abuse of energy (largely fossil) and the solution which would address just about all the issues being raised is to tax energy consumption (total or embodied energy). Not something that can be explained in a headline!