5 Organizations that Are Working to Change Our Food System for the Better (and Why We Need to Support Them)
Our biggest driver at PrimaFoodie is revealing how our food ends up on our plates. How our food is grown, processed, packaged, and marketed is a winding, complicated journey. Often our food system is fueled by legislation and corporations that put energy toward profit and efficiency over human and planetary health.
Because a handful of corporations run the main links on the food supply chain, smaller farmers are often left scrambling. This has been the work of administrations for decades with a goal to bring cheaper food products to the masses. But the result has been catastrophic. Foods laden with pesticides and antibiotics and lacking nutrients have become the norm with nutrient-rich whole foods harder to come by.
We can create change by understanding the backstory of our food and supporting independent farmers. By turning our attention toward those who care about their products, we can bring resilience, equity, and health back to our food system—and to our future. These five organizations are working toward just that.
5 Organizations Working to Change Our Food System
In the 1980s, Italian activist Carlo Petrini gathered a group of people to revolt against the inclusion of a McDonald’s in Rome. His fight won legions of followers and attention, and eventually spawned what is now known as Slow Food. Equal parts movement, mindset, and organization, Slow Food aims to reclaim the organic and just roots of food. There are chapters throughout the US and world, each of which organizes educational activities that teach about the connection between our planet, culture, and wellbeing.
The aim of this organization is on the soil. Quivara works with local farmers and land advocates to educate people on ecosystem resilience and restoring the health of our agriculture—from the ground up. The end game is to bolser rural, local food systems and the economic health of farmers, ultimately to have widespread impacts on land management across the US.
Healthy Food American attacks the issue of bettering the food system from two ends: by working to make access to fresh, healthy foods easier while making adulterated, processed foods less accessible. The team here works tirelessly for policy change, with one of its biggest drivers is advocating for a tax on sodas and other sugary drinks. Through community partnerships, advocacy, and policy reform, this non-profit aims to spread awareness around food, its origins, and equitable availability.
For anything we put in and on our bodies, the EWG has our best interest. This third-party organization works with researchers and scientists to bring the latest information on additives in our food and water, as well as in our personal care products. The site is brimming with guides, all of them easily navigable, to help us better understand labels, source the the cleanest produce and items, and advocate for greater transparency and change.
“School food is the solution, not the problem.” Such is the motto of Cook for America, which sheds light on the transformative power of fresh, whole, “scratch-cooked” school meals. The team believes that this access to healthy food is a catalyst for change in the fight against diet-related health issues, including childhood obesity. It makes sense, particularly given research over the last decade that links healthier school lunches to both better test scores and children’s willingness to make healthier eating choices outside of school hours.