Every year the OFJ plans and hosts the Summit on Human Dignity for its students. The summit is two weeks of speakers, workshops, activities, masses and service opportunities. This year the topic of the summit is food, I have the honor of being the faculty advisor for the student executive committee, eight boys, sophomores through seniors, who work in planning this summit which in the past has received national recognition.
Today I attended my first adult committee meeting. The committee had met a few times before and since this was my first meeting, and first summit, I was utterly confused. The talk was quickly directed to the verbiage of our mission statement, and what key area’s we wished to address during the summit.
Some of the topics we began discussing at the meeting made start thinking about food again as a justice issue. Many of us never realize how the food we eat gets to our table. We have no idea where it came from, the type of labor that was used in cultivation, processing or packaging, what was added in during those processed and how much of a carbon foot print it left on the earth as it journeyed to our local supermarket and table.
We never take the time to consider why the things that are always on sale are sometimes the things that are least healthy for us. Or in general things that are healthy cost more. Thus dooming those who don’t have an appropriate sustainable income or forced to buy and consume food that will result in long term health risks that they probably will not have the funds to receive medical attention for.
Many people (Myself included most of the time) choose not to think about these issues, because it’s easier. It frees us from the guilt of realizing that people, animals, and the environment are abused and exploited because of the food we consume. I can guarantee the dinner I eat tonight will exhibit all of the before mentioned forms of exploitation. Despite the exploitation that I am well aware of concerning my meal, I should be thankful that I even have this meal to eat all. The workers in all fields especially those who might be undocumented or those who reside in other countries might not be so lucky. They survive on much much less than many of us do on a daily basis.
So than, what is my solution. Should I hunger strike in solidary with those who have no food, protest against the unfair exploitation of workers and the environment, advocate for worker’s rights, or is just realizing the injustice and educating others about it enough?
I don’t know what to do about this moral dilemma, however, I know that tonight, sitting around the table for dinner, I will thinking about a lot more than good it tastes, and hopefully the summit (which incidentally occurs during rice week, hello challenge part II) will help me to answer some of those moral questions surrounding the justice of food.
