Food First facts for kids
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| Founded | 1975 |
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| Founder |
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| Type | Think tank |
| Focus | Food Sovereignty, Sustainable Agriculture, Human Rights |
| Location | |
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Area served
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Global |
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Key people
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Frances Moore Lappé, co-founder, Eric Holt-Gimenez, Executive Director Emeritus |
| Award(s) | Right Livelihood Award |
Food First, also known as the Institute for Food and Development Policy, is a non-profit group. It is based in Oakland, California, in the US. It was started in 1975 by Frances Moore Lappé and Joseph Collins. They describe themselves as a "people's think tank." A think tank is a group that studies big problems and suggests ways to solve them.
Food First's main goal is to "end the unfair reasons that cause hunger." They want to help people achieve food sovereignty. This means people have control over their own food systems. It also means they can get food in ways that are fair and good for the planet. Food First works on three main areas to reach this goal:
- Building local food systems.
- Helping farmers create their own food sovereignty.
- Making development more democratic, meaning more people have a say.
The group looks closely at how poverty, farming, and development are connected. They often disagree with policies from big organizations like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Food First has studied the Green Revolution from the 1970s. This was a time when new farming methods were introduced. Food First believes these methods did not help as much as people hoped. They often led to high costs for farmers without much more food being produced.
Today, some ideas from the Green Revolution are coming back. This includes using genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and special high-yield crops. Food First believes these ideas could make global unfairness even worse. They suggest that the best way to help people is through local, sustainable farming. This means growing food in ways that protect the environment and support local communities.
In 1987, Food First won the Right Livelihood Award. They received it for showing why hunger happens and how people can help fix it.
Contents
History of Food First
Food First started in 1975 as the Institute for Food and Development Policy (IFDP). It was founded by Frances Moore Lappé and Joseph Collins. The group first began in New York. Later, it moved to San Francisco, and then to Oakland, where it is today.
In 1977, the group published its first important book. It was called Food First: Beyond the Myth of Scarcity. Since then, Food First has continued to publish reports and studies. These works look at the world's food system and the unfairness it can cause.
Today, Food First is guided by a board of five trustees. These are people with experience in different non-profit groups. They all share a goal of helping communities from the ground up. They believe in supporting local and sustainable farming. Food First also has staff members who work on their reports. Many volunteers and interns help the organization too. They all work together to end global unfairness by changing how we think about food and money.
How Food First Helps
Food First has three main programs to achieve its goals:
Tackling Unfairness in Food Systems
Food First works to fix unfairness in the food industry. This includes problems related to class and race. For example, some studies show that poorer areas often have fewer supermarkets. This means it's harder for people in these areas to find healthy, affordable food. This can lead to health problems like diabetes.
Food First tries to fight this unfairness. They provide information and studies. They also help create groups that bring together urban communities of color. These groups work for better food access. By studying both international development and problems in the U.S., Food First takes a full approach. They want to change how we see the link between food access and economic growth.
Helping Farmers Gain Food Sovereignty
This program helps farmers take control of their food systems. Food First works with groups like The Campesino in Mexico and Central America. They also work with Via Campesina, a global farmers' movement. These groups focus on ways farmers can grow food without relying on big corporations. They help farmers teach each other new strategies.
Food First believes that farmers should have the power to decide how they grow food. They think a big problem with past "Green Revolutions" was that large organizations didn't ask small farmers what they needed. Giving power to those who have been left out is very important for true development.
Giving Farmers a Voice
This program focuses on the root causes of hunger and poverty. Food First supports groups that speak out against big food companies. They support consumer-led ideas that promote "justice, fairness, and ecological sustainability."
For example, Food First has a project called "No Full Tanks with Empty Bellies." This project teaches people about the negative effects of bio-fuels. Bio-fuels are fuels made from plants, which can sometimes take land away from growing food. Food First's main role is to share important information. This helps people become aware, have discussions, and make changes. Hunger and poverty are big problems that need everyone to work together. Food First aims to bring people together to make this change happen.
Food First believes that world hunger is not because there isn't enough food. Instead, they argue that big food companies in wealthy countries produce a lot of extra food. This extra food shows bigger global unfairness. This unfairness deeply harms poorer countries around the world.
Food First points out that there is more than enough food to feed everyone. They say that hunger is caused by other problems. These include people guessing on food prices in the market. It also includes investing in large GMO farms that cost a lot to run. And it includes the market for bio-fuels. By showing these ideas, Food First wants to bring a new way of thinking about global hunger.
Food First supports a "bottom-up" way to solve hunger. This means they believe all countries can feed their own people. They suggest countries should focus on growing food for their own needs, not just to sell to other countries. This is called subsistence agriculture.
Food First strongly disagrees with the policies of what they call "free market" groups. These include the World Trade Organization, World Bank, and International Monetary Fund. As of 2004[update], Food First was active in the campaign against the proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas.
See also
In Spanish: Food First para niños
- Walden Bello
- Eric Holt Giménez
- Pat Mooney
- Right Livelihood Award
- Food security
