Food Oppression in a Pandemic.
J Law Med Ethics
; 50(4): 711-718, 2022.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2259578
ABSTRACT
COVID-related racial disparities represent a spectrum of injustices and inequalities. Focusing on food oppression, this essay argues that racism infuses food law and policy in ways that contribute to racially disparate COVID deaths and severe illnesses. USDA nutrition program participants were at a nutritional disadvantage when COVID hit. Yet, government responses focused on food insecurity, not nutritional quality. Racism against a predominantly Black and brown labor force of essential food workers - from fields to meat plants to grocery stores - created tolerance for the administration's failure to protect or compensate some of the country's most vulnerable workers. When COVID-driven supply issues threatened to narrow white people's activities and choices, the favored response was to keep their options open by sacrificing Black and brown workers. A food oppression lens - understanding how corporate interests drive food policy - is necessary to achieve food equality in this pandemic and beyond.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Racism
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Observational study
Limits:
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
J Law Med Ethics
Journal subject:
Nursing
/
Ethics
/
Jurisprudence
/
Medicine
/
Health Services Research
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
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