Running head: SOUL FOOD JUNKIES 1

Soul Food Junkies

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Soul Food Junkies

It is a documentary directed by Byron Hurt that explores the history and culinary tradition

of soul food and its importance to African American culture.

There is a connection between the food of a particular group of people and their culture.

We all grow by eating food from our cultures. We all attach good feelings or memories, family

ties, personal values to our diet. Family food acts as a portion of comfort food in the face of

stress in life adversities. It has been passed from one generation to the other to serve as a cultural

identity. It also serves as a symbol of pride due to a community’s ethnicity. A community cuisine

should, therefore, reflect its history, values, beliefs. We should accommodate different cuisines

as every community has a unique culture that impacts its dishes. However, there are negative

consequences as the communities have embraced junk foods. They are foods that contain high

sodium, saturated fats, or cholesterol (Byron, 2013). They propagate health complications such

as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, or obesity. Most of the African Americans

women are obese or have high chances of lifestyle illnesses due to the high consumption of junk

foods. It has led to the Federal Food and Drug Administration advocating for the removal of

partially hydrogenated oils from foods in the motels. These foods add empty calories that only

provide one’s body with a high number of calories or sugars. Besides, the current era has seen

poor practices for facilitating increased productions. For instance, we have people who use some

chemicals for promoting the production of bigger animals such as chicken in a short time. It has

significant consequences in our lives. It is also the case in the inhumane factory production of

meat. We should, therefore, be keen on the consumption of foods like chicken, bacon, sausages.

The food access in the communities challenges the choice of healthy options.
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According to the 2015-2020 healthy dietary guidelines for Americans, there are some

healthy eating plans established. They include the consumption of fruits, whole grains, fat-free

dairy, proteins, legumes. However, the community poses challenges in access to healthy foods.

Transportation barriers affect access to foods by people in the neighborhoods. According to

2012-2013 data, most households are 2.3 miles away from the supermarkets (Byron, 2013).

Therefore, families without cars are not able to access supermarkets where there is a variety of

food that support health. We also have people with low incomes in rural areas with little access

to supermarkets, grocery, food stores. For instance, most blacks have fewer supermarkets than

whites. Hence, affordability is another barrier as people with low incomes cannot access healthy

foods, which are costly. They depend on cheap foods with little nutrients. Areas without

supermarkets pay more for healthy foods. For instance, fruits and vegetables are more expensive

in small food stores than in supermarkets as they charge more for fresh produce. It, therefore, put

the masses at risk of lifestyle ailments due to poor food choices. 

The food justice movement is challenging the food [Link] is responding to food

insecurity and challenges coping access to healthy foods, important cultural foods. There are

movements such as the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations that advocate

for food justice (Glennie, 2018). The food system has been perceived as a racial project with

challenges from class and racial influence on production, distribution, consumption. It promotes

food sovereignty checking the barriers in access to healthy foods such as race or class

oppression, gender, ability. It is advocating for access to local and organic foods. It is caused by

racism and economic equality. There are structural inequalities in access to food in societies.

There should be some solutions, such as community gardens or equity in decision making or

distribution of resources. It is calling for anti-hunger movements policies. It is drawing from

established social and environmental frameworks. It is fighting for farmers and ensuring there is

access to healthy food to the affected masses. It also promotes awareness of the food injustices to

promote affordable nourishment to the people. There is a belief that healthy food is a human

right seen in affordability, location, and cultural appropriateness. Food is a culture, family, and

access to healthy food sustains us. We also have the right to control our foods hence the need for

farmer legacy.

Healthier options are supporting local farmers in the production of local foods. They

provide health benefits and reduces environmental impacts. (Eric, 2013). They also have a good

taste and lasts longer. The food is preservative-free. Hence there are no harmful chemicals that

have been added to the foods. They also have high nutrients due to freshness and no chemical

additives. People with diet conditions such as sensitivity can consume them as they can support

people with allergies or digestion issues. It promotes food security, especially in children and

elders. We can eat a well-balanced diet that is readily available from the local farmers. There is

the preservation of genetic diversity as it does not use modern commercial technologies. Most

people are aware of the foods we eat, making the farmers accountable in their farming systems

that enhance the production of foods to meet nutrition value. It helps reduce food miles.

Imported food is shipped miles away before arrival in the supermarket. It involves the

consumption of more fossil fuels leading to carbon emissions that precipitate greenhouse gas

emissions. Hence, it’s becoming an alternative in our lives today where supermarkets and masses

prefer buying foods from local farmers.

The Government has responsibility for environmental management (Byron, 2013). It is

asserted that agriculture has dire effects on the environment than the motor industry through

exhaust fumes. Livestock production promotes the emission of greenhouse gases that trigger
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global warming. Therefore, thGovernment is involved in regulating farming practices. It also

governs the usage of agrochemicals such as insecticides, pesticides, herbicides. They have been

legislations imposed to counter their usage for environment management. It also addresses issues

of water usage that is a prerequisite in agriculture. The Government is involved in matters of

climate change that directly impact agriculture in the food supply. Domestic and international

food policies influence food processors or consumers. The trade policies, political stability,

development aids are precursors of food policy. It can encourage national policies or use of

subsidies to increase sound farming practices.

According to the World Economic Forum (2015), the Food desert is a cause of poor

nutrition among many low-income African Americans. There are many areas without access to

healthy food. Most people do not have access to supermarkets, groceries as they live miles away

from these enterprises. In 2010, the United States Department of Agriculture quoted that there

are 23.5 million Americans who live at least one mile away from the food oasis, such as

supermarkets in urban and suburban areas (Mozaffarian, 2018). There are also many masses

leaving at least ten miles away from the supermarkets in the rural areas. They comprise of low-

income people with less mobility hence not able to visit the food oasis. They include the elderly

due to the exodus of young to urban areas. They do not have proper access to fresh foods, for

instance, fruits, vegetables. The foods available are processed with high sugar fat content that

leads to obesity. The deserts are as a result of competition by supermarkets to small businesses.

They outdo the small businesses; hence people leaving far cannot access healthy foods.

According to the 2013 County Health Ratings, they have poor health. They suffer from poor

clinical care due to their physical environment (Mozaffarian, 2018). Poor infrastructure,

socioeconomic differences propagate it. Lack of access to fruits leads to deficiency in vitamins
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causing health problems such as anemia. There are also high cases of people suffering from

conditions such as blood pressure, diabetes, heart complications. It is due to poor lifestyles.

The Government should promote a healthy eating environment by encouraging access to

supermarkets, groceries, or stores. They should also be affordable. Incentive programs can do it

to these enterprises or good transportation programs. There can be the provision of fruits,

vegetable in mobile markets which deliver foods to the local people at their locations due to poor

accessibility to the food oasis. It should propagate community gardens through funding,

education, and transportation to encourage the use of farmers’ markets by residents of lower-

income neighborhoods. There can also be community-based activities such as community

kitchens. There should be legislation to ensure public entities promote healthy foods by

eliminating calorie-dense or poor nutritional foods. The local farmers should be given incentives

for the encouragement of grocery stores. A tax strategy can be used to curb the production of

foods with minimal nutritional value (Mozaffarian, 2018). There should be campaigns on various

social media platforms to create awareness and enhance healthy eating. The masses should be

educated on the vegetables or fruits servings required daily. People should also be involved in

promoting a healthy diet. People can make vegetable gardens to grow foods free from chemicals.

They should also keep off from junk foods such as French fries and offer healthy alternatives.

They should also avoid the notion that fruits and vegetables are expensive by looking for other

options by farming.

References
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Byron H, January 14, 2013; Provocative Soul Food Junkies to Premiere on PBS’s Independent

Lens on [Link]

food-junkies

Byron H, January 14, 2013; Soul Food Junkies: [Link]

Eric H., April 9, 2013; Soul Food Junkies: Finally, a Food Film That Doesn’t

Preach: [Link]

Glennie C, 2018; Food justice: cultivating the

field: [Link]

Mozaffarian D, June 13, 2018; Role of government policy in nutrition—barriers to and

opportunities for healthier

eating: [Link]

World Economic Forum, October 16, 2015; Why your food choices are a political

act: [Link]

act/