FOOD JUSTICE
WPIRG has long worked to increase transparency between consumers and food retailers. In the early 1970s, WPIRG held a column in the KW-Record about food costs, throughout the 70s and 80s worked on a variety of programming and publications on the issue, and in 2011 hosted a conference on food justice issues. These publications and programming highlighted the fact food is political and that students had the power to organize around this.
1977
THE SUPERMARKET TOUR
Below are samples from WPIRG’s 1977 food cost research handbook, “The Supermarket Tour”. This full text and other similar publications are available in the complete WPIRG Archives at the University of Waterloo’s Special Collections and Archives.
MARCH 2011 CONFERENCE
FOOD JUSTICE: OUR FOOD, OUR BODIES
This 3-day conference hosted by the Waterloo Public Interest Research Group (WPIRG) looked critically at our food system – present and future — with a focus on equity, justice, community and sustainability.
Amid a growing awareness of the importance of healthy food and sustainable food systems, community leaders, students, activists and others gathered for lively discussion and powerful visioning where they explored the barriers and opportunities to making good food equal and accessible to all.
Programming explored the relationship between food, culture and identity; identify structural inequalities in our food system that create barriers to growing, producing, accessing and eating healthy, safe and culturally appropriate food; connect food justice and reproductive justice; examine racism in the food system and build awareness and tools for creating change; and more.
Speakers included Anan Lololi, Professor Margrit Eichler, Sridharan Sethuratnam, FarmStart, No One is Illegal & Justicia for Migrant Workers, Rachelle Campigotto, Anan Lololi of Afri-Can Food Basket, Sunday Harrison of Green Thumbs Growing Children, Prof. Janet Mclaughlin & Fanis Juma Radstake from KW’s African Community Wellness Initiative, Jessica Yee of the Native Youth Sexual Health Network, and Christine Lefebvre.
