Iowa Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church

Missional Justice A Newsletter of the Social Justice & Mission Ministry

Volume 3, Issue 8 Food Justice Fall 2011

WHAT THE CHURCH SAYS ABOUT FOOD JUSTICE “Although globally enough food is produced to feed everyone, 840 million people are undernourished, 799 million of them in the developing world…Each year, six million children die as a result of hunger. Although hunger is also a problem in cities, seventy‐five percent of the world’s hungry people live in rural areas.” The Book of Resolutions of The United Methodist Church, 2008 Resolution 4051. The United Methodist Church, Justice, and World Hunger

Social Principles of The United Methodist Church, 2009‐2012 ¶160. The Natural World, G) Food Safety (17) ¶162. III. The Social Community, P) Rural Life ¶162. III. The Social Community, Q) sustainable agriculture ¶163. IV. The Economic Community D) Consumption & E) Poverty, H) Family Farms

The Book of Resolutions of The United Methodist Church, 2008 ¶163. IV. The Economic Community Resolution 4022. United Methodist Church Use of Fair Trade Coffee and Other Fair Trade Products Resolution 4051. The United Methodist Church, Justice, and World Hunger Resolution 4092. Statement of Concern on Poverty Resolution 4134. Rights of Farm Workers in the US Resolution 4135. Rights of Workers Iowa Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church IAUMC Book of Resolutions, 2009 2301 Rittenhouse Street Resolution 9101. Agricultural Research in Iowa (1987, 2003) Des Moines, Iowa 50321 Resolution 9102. Soil Conservation (1990, 2003) Resolution 9103. Sustainable Agriculture Models (1991, 2003) Naomi Sea Young Wittstruck Resolution 9319. Ongoing Support for Family Farms (1999, 2001) Leadership Development Minister Resolution 9408. Local Food Systems (2003) Social Justice & Mission Resolution 9606. Food Resources as Political Weapons (1980, 2003) P: 515.974.8908 C: 515.783.4381 F: 515.974.8958 [email protected] WEIGHING THE ISSUE OUR DAILY BREAD Kristin A. Clark naomi sea young wittstruck leadership development minister Administrative Support Social Justice & Mission “Give us this day, our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those P: 515.974.8911 who trespass against us…” ~The Lord’s Prayer F: 515.974.8961 [email protected] Our “daily bread” involves so much more than what we put on our plates at dinner or the items we pick up from the shelves of our local grocery store. In the world today, the cultivation, production, distribu‐ tion, processing, packaging, and allocation of food is a multi‐layered and complex system. Food has be‐ come a commodity in communities in the U.S. and overseas, and there are deeply rooted economic dis‐ continued on page 2 Page 2 Missional Justice

reading WEIGHING THE ISSUE continued from page 1 resources parities in determining who distributes and receives food, accessibility to food and adequate availability Food and Faith: Justice, Joy, and Daily Bread of nutritious food items, labor inequities and corporate monopolies on food and water, degradation of by Michael Schut the land and natural resources; the list goes on. What we eat, how we eat, where our food comes from,

Food and Faith: and how we use food resources are ways in which we live out our faith, our commitment to shalom for all A Theology of Eating of God’s creation, and the way we express stewardship of land, our bodies, and care for one another. by Norma Wirzba

Food and Faith When we look at the narratives of Jesus’ ministry throughout the Bible, we see story after story of Jesus by Wendy Whiteside (UMW leading wholistic ministries that equally meet people’s Spiritual Growth Study Book 2009—http:// spiritual, emotional, and physical needs. One of the www.missionresourcecenter. most popular of these is the story of the “feeding of the org/wdstore/details.asp? pid=678&page=1) 5,000.” This parable appears in all four of the synoptic gospels, yet the portrayal in Matthew 14:14‐21 holds Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All American Meal particular depth. It notes, “When he went ashore, he by Eric Schlosser saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick. When it was evening, the disciples Growing a Better Future: Food Justice in a Resource‐ came to him and said, ‘This is a deserted place, and the Constrained World hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they resource by Oxfam Int’l Free Download: http:// may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.’ www.oxfam.org/en/grow/ Jesus said to them, ‘They need not go away; you give reports/growing‐better‐future them something to eat.’ They replied, ‘We have nothing Food Justice here but five loaves and two fish.’ And he said, ‘Bring them here to me.’ Then he ordered the crowds to by Robert Gottlieb sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and

Home Economics broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And all ate by Wendell Berry (1987) and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. And those

Hunger & Happiness: who ate were about five thousand then, besides women and children.” Feeding the Hungry and Nourishing Our Souls by L. Shannon Jung In this narrative, we see that through his compassion for the community, Jesus worked to heal their sick and Altars of Unhewn Stone: to ensure he and his disciples provided more than Science and the Earth by Wes Jackson enough food for the thousands of people gathered. He gave to the people out of a paradigm of abundance so The Earth Knows My Name: Food, Culture, that all present ate until they were filled and there and Sustainability in the were still over twelve baskets of food remaining. If we Gardens of Ethnic America by Patricia Klindienst contextualize this story for the world today and the ministries and outreach we are called to live out locally The Long Emergency: and globally as Christians and United Methodists, what Surviving the End of Oil, Climate Change, and Other is required of us to ensure all people have access to Converging Catastrophes of nutritious and continuous supplies of food? What do we need to give up or invest more in, in order to the Twenty‐First Century by James Howard Kunstler make more equitable distribution of food possible? What can we do to ensure food production and the labor involved is done in sustainable ways that support local communities, care for creation, and provide The Raw Milk Revolution: Behind America's Emerging equitable compensation and care for workers, farmers, and consumers alike? How do we address the Battle Over Food Rights dichotomy of some nations and communities having an overabundance of food to the point of mass by David E. Gumpert amounts of food being wasted, while others live in extreme food insecurity, dying from malnutrition, star‐

Nutrition and Physical vation, and disease in the thousands like the current situation in Somalia? Degeneration by Weston A. Price We must struggle with the realities of our world as we prayerfully discern the ways God is calling us to Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: change our lifestyles, to reach out, to share with others from whatever we have been given, and to be A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver mindful whenever we pray our Lord’s Prayer, that “our daily bread” involves so much more than meets the eye. It requires from us a changed way of living that moves us towards action to work for God’s jus‐ The Revolution Will Not tice in our daily lives from something as seemingly basic as what we put on our plates to getting engaged Be Microwaved: Inside America's Underground in advocacy that works to ensure all of our brothers and sisters around the world have equitable access to Food Movements their daily bread. by Sandor Ellix Katz Volume 3, Issue 8 Page 3

PUTTING FAITH INTO ACTION IN YOUR LOCAL CHURCH more books — Support your local farmers’ markets: http://www.iafarmersmarkets.org/Schedule__Calendar_.html — Join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture): Manifestos on the Future of Food http://www.farmerspal.com/organic‐farms/csa‐farms/region/iowa/page/1/ and Seed edited by Vandana Shiva — Explore community gardening projects and life skills classes *American Community Gardening Association: http://communitygarden.org/connect/links.php Nourishing Traditions: The Cook‐ book that Challenges Politically *The National Garden Project: http://www.gardenproject.org/thegardenproject.htm Correct Nutrition and the Diet *Garden ABC’s—Community Garden Project National Grant Opportunities: Dictocrats http://www.gardenabcs.com/Grants.html by Sally Fallon

— Grow vegetables and herbs at home: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591862027? Hope's Edge: The Next Diet for a ie=UTF8&tag=femeliyomeit‐20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1591862027#_ Small Planet by Frances Moore Lappé — Support local businesses, farms, and health food stores—shop locally and get to know the farmers and Anna Lappé and co‐operative or health food store owners in your community Closing the Food Gap: *Lists of Food Cooperatives by State: http://niany.com/food.coop.html Resetting the Table in *Organics Consumer Organization (List of co‐ops & health food stores by city for Iowa): the Land of Plenty http://www.organicconsumers.org/state/greenbiz.cfm?state=IA&type=biz by Mark Winne

— Make changes in your diet to support your health Inquiries into the Nature *Reduce intake of fast and processed foods; decrease use of preservative and salt heavy foods; reduce of Slow Money: Investing as if Food, Farms, and processed carb sharing at potluck dinners and church coffees—bring fruit and veggies to share Fertility Mattered instead of dessert or bread; commit to eating organic and pesticide‐free produce when possible. by Woody Tasch

— Start a book and Bible study group at your local church using Food and Faith: Justice, Joy, and Daily The Food of a Younger Land: Bread, edited by Michael Schut—there’s a study guide for leaders and participants in the book. A Portrait of American — Support fair trade coffee, tea, and food products Food—Before the National High‐ way System, Before *Equal Exchange products (supported by The United Methodist Church, who urges the use of Equal Chain Restaurants, and Exchange products by all UMC congregations): http://www.equalexchange.coop/ Before Frozen Food, When the — Volunteer with school wellness programs Nation's Food Was Seasonal by Mark Kurlansky *American Dietetic Association School Wellness Resources: http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=3830 *Healthy Weight Network’s Healthy Schools Wellness Plans: films http://www.healthyweightnetwork.com/schools1.htm *Iowa Department of Education Healthy Kids Act Information: Top 10 Food Documentaries:

http://educateiowa.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1769&Itemid=2545 1) Food Inc. (2008) http:// www.foodincmovie.com/ *Alliance for a Healthier Generation: http://www.healthiergeneration.org/schools.aspx?id=4294967385 2) Dirt: The Movie (2009) http://dirtthemovie.org/pages/ *Northeast Iowa Food and Fitness Initiative: http://www.iowafoodandfitness.org/site/school.html all‐about‐dirt

— Support wholistic health programs and education at your local church and talk about the care of 3) Food Fight (2008) http:// creation, of our bodies, and our communities www.foodfightthedoc.com/ foodfight.html *See what Tiffin Grace UMC is doing to provide fitness and exercise classes to the community with the leadership of Rev. Beverly Marshall‐Goodell: http://tiffingraceumc.org/?page_id=52. 4) Fresh (2009) http:// www.freshthemovie.com/

— Contact the Kae Tritle, IAUMC Wellness Coordinator, to get involved in programming and learning 5) Killer at Large (2008) http:// opportunities around wholistic health and wellness: [email protected] or 319.341.4372 killeratlarge.com/main.html

— Get Involved in advocacy and organizing around worker justice issues for workers in the agriculture 6) King Corn (2007) http:// www.kingcorn.net/ and other food service industries: www.iwj.org (Interfaith Worker Justice) 7) Super‐Size Me (2004) http:// — Participate in legislative advocacy on federal and international aid programs www.imdb.com/title/tt0390521/

*Contact Naomi Sea Young Wittstruck ([email protected]) to learn about state and federal 8) The Garden (2008) http:// legislative advocacy opportunities to address food justice issues. www.thegardenmovie.com/

— Organize and participate in a Crop Walk for international hunger awareness at your local church 9) The Future of Food (2004) www.thefutureoffood.com/ through Church World Service: http://www.churchworldservice.org/CROP 10) The Real Dirt on Farmer John — Participate in Bread for the World’s “Offering of Letters” to members of Congress, addressing hunger (2006) http://www.pbs.org/ and global poverty issues: http://www.bread.org/ol/2011/ independentlens/realdirt/

— Attend the Iowa “Farm‐Church Listening Group” on November 22 at St. Paul’s Cathedral in downtown Fast Food Nation (2006) http:// Des Moines (9:30A—2:30P), hosted by Bishop Scarfe from the Episcopal Diocese www.imdb.com/title/tt0460792/ *The Farm‐Church listening group meets periodically throughout the year, bringing together clergy, laity, folks “Babette’s Feast” http:// from the agricultural business sector, and other advocates to discuss issues impacting our rural communities www.imdb.com/title/tt0092603/ and bigger policy issues related to agriculture. For more information and meeting times, please contact Rev. Ed Kail, Southwest District Field Outreach Minister ([email protected] or 515.974.8702). “Black Gold” http://blackgoldmovie.com/ Page 4 Missional Justice

other HELPFUL WEBSITES for more information articles General Board of Church & Society — http://www.umc‐gbcs.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx? “The ‘Food Justice’ c=frLJK2PKLqF&b=3631781&ct=3956189 Movement” by Mark Winston Griffith http:// General Board of Global Ministries — http://new.gbgm‐umc.org/work/hunger/ www.blackcommentator.com/ 70/70_food_justice.html

Oxfam — www.oxfam.org “Bryant Terry: the food‐justice advocate” by Miriam Wolf Heifer International — www.heifer.org http://www.culinate.com/ articles/ the_culinate_interview/ Bread for the World — www.bread.org bryant_terry

Slow Food Movement — http://www.slowfood.com/ “Looking at Food System Issues Through a ‘Food Justice Lens’” New Agriculturalist — http://www.new‐ag.info/en/index.php by Jesse Kurtz‐Nicholl http:// www.livablefutureblog.com/2 010/12/looking‐at‐food‐ Growing Food and Justice for All Initiative — www.growingfoodandjustice.org system‐issues‐through‐a‐food‐ justice‐lens Commitment to Community — www.foodjustice.org

“Why Take Food Seriously?” by Mark Bittman Food Empowerment Project — www.foodispower.org http:// www.nytimes.com/2008/10/1 2/magazine/12wwln‐lede‐ Just Food (connecting communities with the resources & support they need to make fresh, t.html locally grown food accessible to all New Yorkers) — www.justfood.org

“Alice Waters’ Crusade for Better Food” Food First (Institute for Food & Development Policy) — www.foodfirst.org by CBSNews http://www.cbsnews.com/ sto‐ Earth Ministry (engaging the Christian community in environmental stewardship) — ries/2009/03/13/60minutes/ main4863738.shtml www.earthministry.org

“Famine Rages Somalia in a Society of St. Andrew — www.endhunger.org World Less Likely to Respond” by Jeffrey Gettleman http:// Food Research and Action Center — www.frac.org www.nytimes.com/2011/09/1 6/world/africa/famine‐hits‐ somalia‐in‐world‐less‐likely‐to‐ Food Justice Coalition — http://www.foodshare.net/FoodJustice_POP.htm intervene.html? _r=1&ref=world Mark Bittman (blog, recipes, articles, etc.) — http://markbittman.com/

“Food and Faith and Farm Workers” by Julie Taylor Urban Farm Hub (Puget Sound region) — http://www.urbanfarmhub.org/ http://new.gbgm‐umc.org/ umw/foodfaith/justice/ farmworkers/?search=food Marion Nestle: Food Politics (blog, books, etc.) — http://www.foodpolitics.com/ and faith Bryant Terry (chef, food justice activist, author) — http://www.bryant‐terry.com/

The Land Institute (working to develop an agricultural system with the ecological stability of the prairie and a grain yield comparable to that from annual crops) — http://www.landinstitute.org

Foods Resource Bank — http://www.foodsresourcebank.org