Food Inequality

There’s a food shortage going on that’s unlike anything we’ve seen in the last 40 years. Billions of people around the world are now chronically hungry, and tens of millions may face imminent famine and starvation. So what’s going on that’s different from years past? And what, if anything, can we do as individuals to begin to make a difference?

The restaurant industry has some big problems. The pandemic, inflation, and a shortage of workers have all taken their toll. But a growing number of restaurants are taking bold and innovative steps to not only stay afloat — but to also contribute to healthy people and a healthy planet. Here’s what you need to know about sustainable and socially responsible restaurants, and how you can enjoy a night out (or a night of takeout), with a clean conscience and a happy tummy.

The word malnutrition is most often used to describe diets that are deficient in calories or essential nutrients. Chances are you’ve heard it used in that context — associated with starvation and extreme poverty. But that is only one side of malnutrition…

School meals have a huge impact on the health of a nation — and the planet. They forge patterns that shape lives. They instill a status quo that changes what kids want to eat the rest of the time. And they are one of the primary ways that policy shapes the health of the next generation. Moving toward healthier, plant-based meal plans could benefit our children, and our world, in profoundly important ways.

In this video interview, Dr. Sean Hashmi of Kaiser Permanente sits down with Ocean Robbins to discuss his experience as a kidney specialist, his mission to change the culture of medicine, and the importance of treating root causes of disease — not just symptoms. Dr. Hashmi and Ocean discuss the impact of systemic inequality on food choices and health outcomes, and look at breakthrough solutions that can heal lives and build a healthier society.

When millions of people suffer from malnutrition, either due to insufficient calories or a lack of access to affordable, wholesome food, their health, wealth, resilience, and even their mental clarity are impacted. If we want to create a just and sustainable world, we must tackle the twin issues of food inequality and food insecurity.

Alabama State Senator Malika Sanders-Fortier and her sister Ainka Sanders Jackson, executive director of the Selma Center for Nonviolence, Truth & Reconciliation, have dedicated their lives to the eradication of racism and the promotion of peace, freedom, and health. In this video interview, Malika and Ainka discuss their involvement in the civil rights struggles in Selma, AL, and how they’re working towards Martin Luther King, Jr’s vision of a Beloved Community with healthy food and a healthy world for all.

Millions of people around the world are hungry or starving, and the number has grown since the COVID-19 pandemic. Food banks have stepped up hunger-fighting efforts, even more, to provide food for those in need. So what exactly are food banks, how do they work, and how do we help them serve real and nutritious food to the people who need them most?

Millions of people in the US and around the world live in “food deserts”: areas where it’s hard or even impossible to find healthy food. These food deserts promote poor health outcomes, are a drag on our economy, and reinforce the worst effects of racism. How did food deserts come to be? What do they cost all of us? And what can we do to make healthy food available for all?

Ocean Robbins sits down with Leah Penniman, food justice activist and the co-founder and co-director of Soul Fire Farm in Petersburg, NY. Hear Leah’s take on racism in the US food and agricultural system, what’s being done about it, and how you can take action to build a healthier and more sustainable world for everyone.

School lunches programs provide critical nutrition for more than 30 million children in the United States and hundreds of millions worldwide. Yet they face deep challenges, and often set children on a path of lifelong addiction to unhealthy foods. Want to know the whole story, and find out how you can protect your family, and the next generation? Read on!

School lunches don’t exactly have the best reputation. But for millions of kids, they are a critical source of nutrition and sometimes the only truly reliable meal of the day. And while there are some subsidy programs in place, many poor families are winding up in ever-deepening cycles of school lunch debt. Why is this happening? And what can we do about it?