The Youth Food Bill of Rights (YFBR) is an organization that is raising awareness about young people's ability to create change in the current food systems that shape our lives. The industrial food system induces much suffering - of animals, workers, farmers, and the people consuming it. In creating a new town, as is happening with Kalu Yala, it is vitally important to be aware of this movement and make sure that these principles are embedded in every initiative that is undertaken.
"In order to reshape our food system, we the youth have come together to name our rights:
"In order to reshape our food system, we the youth have come together to name our rights:
- We have the right to culturally affirming food. We demand the preservation, protection and reconstruction of traditional
farming, cultural history and significance of food and agriculture. We demand that indigenous peoples have the right to establish their own autonomous food systems should they choose. - We have the right to sustainable food. We demand an end to the mistreatment of animals and the environment, that is caused by our current food system.
- We have the right to nutritional education. We demand government funding to educate and inform youth and parents about nutrition.
a. Education on things such as seasonal eating, organic farming,
sustainability, and diet related illness should be provided so that people can make better informed decisions.
b. We recommend that schools recognize youth lead fitness programs as tools for success. - We have the right to healthy food at school. We the youth demand more healthy food choices in our schools, and in schools all over the world. We want vending machines out of schools unless they have healthy choices. We need healthier school lunches that are implemented by schools with the ingredients decided on by the Youth. We demand composting in schools and in our neighborhoods.
- We have the right to genetic diversity and GMO-free food. We the youth, call for the Labeling of Genetically Modified seeds, plants, and produce. We demand a policy from the government that labels all GMO’s..
- We have the right to poison-free food. We the youth absolutely don’t want any chemical pesticides in our food!
- We have the right to beverages and foods that don't harm us. We the Youth demand a ban on High Fructose Corn Syrup and other additives, and preservatives that are a detriment to our communities’ health. This must be implemented by our government, and governments around the world.
- We have the right to local food. We demand food to be grown and consumed by region to cut the use of fossil fuels and reduce the globalization of our food system.
- We have the right to fair food. We the youth demand that everyone working in the food system must be treated
with respect, treated fairly, and earn at the minimum, a just living wage. For all those that are working in the food system we demand a model like the Domestic Fair Trade Association to be implemented. - We have the right to good food subsidies. We demand an end to the subsidy of cash crops, including corn and soy beans. Rather than our tax dollars going to subsidies for industrial farming, we demand financial support for small organic farmers.
- We have the right to organic food and organic farmers. We demand a restructuring of the process of being certified organic and fair trade to improve the thoroughness and accessibility of of these programs.
- We have the right to cultivate unused land. We demand that a policy be enacted allowing for unused land to be made available for communities to farm and garden organically and sustainably.
- We have the right to save our seed. We believe farmers and all people should have the freedom to save their seed. Any law that prevents this should be reversed; no law shall ever be made to
prevent seed saving. - We have the right to an ozone layer. We the youth demand a 20% decrease of industrial farms every 5 years, to decrease the high levels of greenhouse gas emissions associated with industrial
farming. - We have the right to support our farmers through direct market transactions. We demand that the number of farmer’s markets be increased every year until there are more farmers’ markets than corporate super markets.
- We have the right to convenient food that is healthy. We want healthy options in corner stores while empowering the community to make better food choices. We demand more jobs for youth to work with our communities to make this happen and help them control their food systems.
- We have the right to leadership education. We the youth demand that there be more school assemblies to inform and empower more youth with the knowledge of food justice. The continuation of the movement for Food Justice, Food Sovereignty and cultivation of future
leaders is necessary for feeding our youth, our nation and our world.
This is only the beginning step in many to come to make our visions, our dreams, and this bill a reality."
Source: youthfoodbillofrights.com |
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