The overlapping interests of a just food system.

Over the weekend I attended the very first, Multnomah County Food Summit. Gathering 250 people into a conference hall for an all-day event on a sunny day, was no easy feat. Luckily, all I had to do was show-up.

A first of its kind for sure, the food summit brought both grandiose ideals and a diverse selection of committed activists to the table. As the mini image shows above, the goal of the summit is to integrate 4 main principals into the pillars of a movement. Now we all know the movement had begun far before last Saturday. And yet, no one in Oregon (as far as I know) has initiated a project of such size and impact.

If this were to succeed, the food summit hopes to develop a thorough action plan for the county, one that stretches into the next 15 years. From all the qualitative data collected at the event – from worksheets to discussion groups – the event facilitators will extract the big ideas and common interests of the attendees. Thereafter, four groups will form to develop individual plans in their specific subject area. As the image shows above, the 4 main objectives include:

1. Economic Vitality: promote a thriving local economy
2. Healthy Eating: make the healthy choice an easier choice for all
3. Social Equity: build systemic justice, health and food security
4. Local Food: increase viable local options in our food system

As much as these principles guided the discussion for the day, much time was devoted to uncovering those voices not at the table. All the while, various speakers informed the audience of projects happening across the country with similar goals.

The event was both overwhelming and inspirational. To see so many engaged citizens all sharing the same passion was a real boost for me. As the lone educator on Monday nights trying to influence the lives of those not attending the summit, this opportunity let me leave my little vacuum of a classroom. If anything, the event reminded me that the local food movement is really just beginning. There will be funding (eventually) to promote projects like my own. There will be top-down and bottom-up approaches to tackling healthy food disparities and mighty corporate interests. There will be a collective movement of diverse people joining in.

This is clearly the beginning of the food revolution. (post-Jamie Oliver)

Related posts:

1. A Future Food Project (or) An Idea is Born
2. Pro-Food Anti-Foodie
3. I Thought I was Starting the Food Revolution!?
4. The Food Revolution (has begun)
5. The Dark Side of the Organic Food Movement

Tags: Food Politics, local food movement, portland