Planting the Seeds for Change

Food Security & Environmental Racism in Saskatoon

By Greg Kotschorek

‘To really know a place is to understand how environment, culture, and politics have worked to shape it…’

Larocque:‘…racism is political; it facilitates and justifies socioeconomic mobility for one group at the expense of the other.’

As you walk around the core neighbourhoods of Saskatoon there are many things that catch your eye, how worn out the buildings are, the seeming vacant lots, very little green, and the businesses that thrive are pawn and ‘quick loan’ shops. It seems like there are more pawn shops than people, and there are definitely more of these shops than there are grocery stores or places to access healthy foods in general. These neighbourhoods are populated by mostly Aboriginal and immigrant populations and they are not getting a fair chance to live a healthy life. Low income families do not have the mobility to travel the distances they need to to access nutritious foods the way our urban environment is set up right.

Access to healthy foods is a matter of food security—knowing where your next meal is coming from—and the communities who live around what are known as ‘the alphabets’ (because of the naming of the avenues from A to Z) do not have this right now. This is a case of environmental racism, which refers to the perpetuation of any policy or practice that negatively affects the environment of low-income and/or racially homogeneous communities at a disparate rate than affluent communities.

I walked over to this grocery store this morning and took a look inside… ‘this is what passes for a grocery store around here?! Four bananas and two onions were all that could be seen in this small little corner store. It’s quite sad, there were more bags of chips and chocolate bars than there was produce, and a 2 litre carton of milk was $3.45. What the $#(@. I can get a 4 litre jug of milk by my house for around the same price. I have nothing against this corner grocery store and I got to thinking that the people that own and operate it have the same food security issues as the rest of the neighbourhood. They are all victims of their environment and the racism that has built it to be what it is today.

Larocque:…racism is political; it facilitates and justifies socioeconomic mobility for one group at the expense of the other.

This is the street sign from the end of my block, and yes, that is an Extra Foods grocery store. About a 2 minute walk from this location is another Coop grocery store. This juxtaposed against the the city core’s lack of a full service grocery store can only be seen as an element of environmental racism. The stark contrast between the two neighbourhoods is a statement on the part of the city and its citizens to hold those with higher socioeconomic status with higher regard than those on the fringes. I guess you have to have money to get anything around here, it stinks of greed. If there were any environmental justice these grocery stores would be speak evenly like some organic jam on a hearty piece of whole grain bread.

‘There's enough on this planet for everyone's needs but not for everyone's greed.’ Mohandas Gandhi

Poor struggle to afford good foodAlannah Adamko, The Star Phoenix: Thursday, July 22, 2010"The commercial on television where the person has to choose between food or rent is so true," said CHEP worker Colleen Hamilton. "All we keep hearing from politicians is how great it is that Saskatoon is growing -- I don't think they see what is happening because of it. It's a good city, but poverty and hunger have been growing big time in the last two years.”

The Food Bank is a very positive organization that is working and doing its best to help with the food issues around the city’s core but it is only a band aid. People going to the a place like the Food Bank for handouts does nothing for the strength of a community or a people but it help in the interim between today and when real food security is brought and the injustices that go in in this city are brought to an end.

Ruth Anne Rudack (CHEP):“We thought community garden, right, makes sense, food security is the first step…community gardens are [positive] step, right. So a plot like this is not going to give you food security in February, but for the families who are gardening here, look how much it can be producing, this is a beautiful example…”

Community gardens are not only a good source of food but they are a positive step towards a greater degree of autonomy for marginalized groups in managing and making decisions about their environment. Thus, gaining a louder voice and greater self-determination. This is not only a step towards food security but it can be seen in a larger sense as a political act against the racialized status quo.

Mayer-Smith, Bartosh, & Peterat.‘The food/snack prep seems like a ‘no-brainer’ to get youth to see the connections between growing and eating and good nutrition.’

Gardens in the urban setting also allow for youth of all ages to play and learn about gardening and nutrition. If you can get youth away from eating fast food and Doritos by allowing them access to gardens down the block instead of A & W and 7/11 we can re-educate them about how to live a healthy life. Through partnerships with gardens and schools this is happening but it takes a great amount of time and effort on the part of a few giving and knowledgeable volunteers to make the whole thing possible.

Ruth Anne Rudack:‘It’s really been fabulous to see what’s been happening in this garden, we got the kids involved, they’re having so much fun…as soon as they see a couple people in the garden they come: ‘What can we do?’’

Greenwood:‘…as centres of experience, places teach us and shape our identity. Reciprocally, people shape

places.’

Ruth Anne Rudack:‘It is a very powerful tool for community development…it can empower those families who are

struggling, with children, and daily life and poverty; it shows them that other people are willing to help.’

In communities that may not have much to hold their head high about, to build a sense of community around a positive and healthy act like producing healthy food is an empowering act. Community gardens have a chance to do a lot of good in the core communities of Saskatoon. If they can keep their momentum up and if the new vacant lot legislation holds its promise of opening up more possible places for gardens. Through positive experience with community gardens there can be a greater push towards food security while there is still no adequate source of nutritious foods in the city’s core.

‘If you want to eliminate hunger, everybody has to be involved.’ Bono

Drop in youth centres like White Buffalo help ease the burden on families by offering ‘snack’ every day, which is actually a full, nutritious supper meal and not just a snack. The centre is usually only open to youth but at supper time it is opened to the youths’ families as well; from what I heard they have a packed house most days and this stove gets lots of work. To me this is another way that food security issues in the Saskatoon’s core show themselves. It is great that there are organizations like White Buffalo Youth Lodge see these problems and are willing to help in anyway they can.

Most of our citizenry believes that hunger only affects people who are lazy or people who are just looking for a handout, people who don’t want to work, but, sadly, that is not true. Over one-third of our hungry people are innocent children who are members of households that simply cannot provide enough food or proper nutrition. And to think of the elderly suffering from malnutrition is just too hard for most of us. Unlike Third World nations, in our country the problem is not having too little – it is about not caring enough!

Giant tiger is what now stands in place of a genuine grocery store in the core of the city and it does a much better job than corner stores and delivering healthy foods to the neighbourhoods around where it stands on 20th and Ave. E. I was quite surprised by the amount of produce we saw there, but there was no fresh meats and the grocery portion of the store was minimal. The Tiger seemed cheap and easy enough to access but trying to service the area is a little more than it can swallow.

‘If you can’t feed a hundred people, then just feed one.’Mother Teresa

This week has been inspiring. Through the negativity it does nothing to be pessimistic. I just had a week were I met many people who are an inspiration and who have not gotten blinded by the amount of work and heartache this is to come if there is to be change in this city. To have food security means to fight against a racial divide that is so very evident in Saskatoon, it’s me and it’s you, we are all a part of the problem and until we start to become part of the solution that will not change. We need to work for social justice and equality and as teachers we need to be forces for change. This mural shows children who are wide eyed and fearless and it is our place as teachers to plant in this fearfulness the seeds of change.

We have seen people who have given us ideas and models to integrate gardening and healthy eating, community work, and creating a safe place to call home. They are people who are not afraid to beak down walls and try new things…if they don’t work you try something else. This week showed us what place based education can be, but as Anderson said, it needs to be more than a schooling methodology, ‘it needs to be located in a coherent theory that names political purposes and provides ethical direction for critical praxis.’ Development for a stronger community is what education and teaching is for me.