In honor of Cesar Estrada Chavez’s legacy of farming, environmental and social justice, Project New Village will host its 13th annual Cesar E. Chavez Community Tribute and Celebration on April 27, 2013, 10am – 2pm at the Educational Cultural Complex in Southeastern San Diego.
This year we will feature A Day of Dialogue on the pending USA Farm Bill. This conversation is timely and absolutely critical for Californians; for the first time, California has six representatives on the US House Agricultural Committee. We have an opportunity to advocate for a farm bill that promotes equitable access to healthy food; create local jobs with fair wages and spurs economic growth through food and farms.
The congress is willing to support $950 billion on agricultural subsidies over the next 10 years—an increase of more than $300 billion from the most recent (2008) farm bill for the Mega Farm businesses. However most farmers in California do not receive federal subsidies or crop insurance, even though California produces 12% or the nation’s produce.
San Diego is number one in the nation for small family farms and organic farms, yet our farmers do not have crop insurance or subsidies. As the representatives from the South and Midwest advocate for the “commodity” farmers growing wheat, rice, corn cotton and soybean; the California representatives must advocate for the support of what’s known as “Specialty Crops” which is what we grow in San Diego, including fruits, nuts and vegetables. In short, all the nutritious produce we need for a healthy diet.
The health and wealth of our communities are linked to the availability and production of healthy food options.
People of color and low income communities are the ones most affected by America’s food crisis, and in the current economic downturn, this is not something to turn a blind eye to. Food justice starts from the conviction that access to heal-thy food is a human rights issue and that the “lack of access to food in a community is an indicator of material deprivation.” Beyond food security, food sovereignty is the right of peoples, communities and countries to define their own policies regarding their seeds, agriculture, labor, food and land. Food sovereignty is part of a movement for more just and ecological food and farming systems.
Join Project New Village for a Day of Dialogue on April 27th at ECC, located at 4343 Oceanview Blvd. San Diego, CA 92113. Mayor Bob Filner and Dr. Rodney Hood, MD are among the confirmed speakers.
