FooD Justice
Why is Food Waste a Social Issue?
Food waste prevention is deeply connected to food justice because it addresses inequities in how food is produced, distributed, and consumed.
Food justice is both a movement and a framework focused on challenging and correcting the inequalities within the food system—from how food is grown and distributed to how it’s accessed and consumed. At its core, it advocates for the right of all people—regardless of race, income, or location—to have access to healthy, affordable, and culturally relevant food produced in ways that are environmentally sustainable and socially equitable.
The ultimate goal of food justice is to reshape the food system to support fairness, health, and sustainability across all communities.
Inequitable Access to Food
Every year, while millions of tons of food are thrown away, countless people—especially those in low-income, Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color—experience chronic food insecurity. - This stark contrast between abundance and hunger reflects deep-rooted structural injustices in our food system.
Exploited Labor and Disregarded Workers
Our food system is built on the bodies of low-wage, often immigrant and marginalized workers.
When food is wasted, it dishonors the labor of those who plant, harvest, process, and transport it—frequently under exploitative and unjust conditions.
Food Deserts and Food Apartheid
Areas lacking access to fresh, healthy food—known as food deserts—or shaped by systemic racial and economic exclusion—referred to as food apartheid—are worsened by a profit-driven food system that allows edible food to go to waste. Discarding surplus food instead of redirecting it to underserved communities only deepens these disparities.
Environmental Racism and Pollution
Food waste fuels climate change, disproportionately harming marginalized communities through extreme weather, pollution, and environmental degradation.
Landfills—where much wasted food ends up—are commonly located near low-income neighborhoods, exposing residents to toxic chemicals and long-term health risks.
Disregard for Cultural Food Knowledge
Many traditional food systems—particularly those rooted in Black, Indigenous, and other marginalized cultures—emphasize sustainability and low waste.
These practices are too often overlooked or devalued in dominant food narratives, contributing to cultural erasure. Honoring them is essential to food justice.
