By Mark Zirnsak
Food is something we all share in hospitality, pleasure and the nourishment of our bodies.
There are many stories about food and meals in the Biblical text, including manna provided by God, and Jesus feeding thousands of people with five loaves of bread and two fish.
So, it is hardly surprising that food is an integral part of life in our Christian communities.
All people should have access to healthy and affordable food produced in ways that have the least impact on climate change.
Many food corporations are destroying our health and unnecessarily contributing to climate change.
There are many social justice dimensions to what we eat. These include:
- Making sure everyone has enough healthy food to eat;
- Impacts on climate change;
- Fair employment conditions for those that produce our food; and,
- Not stigmatising people for their weight.
Given the role food plays in the life of the Church, we are well-placed to advocate for socially just outcomes over what we eat and how it is produced.
A third of global emissions come from food production.
Large food corporations are producing unhealthy and addictive food products that drive up unhealthy food consumption.
The foods in question cause a range of health problems, including cancer, heart disease, depression, diabetes and obesity.
These foods fall into a category known as ultra-processed foods.
Ultra-processed foods are those that contain additives that you would not find in your kitchen, such as artificial colouring, emulsifiers, thickening agents, preservatives and a host of other chemicals represented by numbers on the ingredients list on the packaging.
They are also often higher in sugar, fat and salt.
Scientists and technicians have progressively tailored ultra-processed foods to bypass our natural appetite control mechanisms.
Food corporations have employed psychologists and neuroscientists to unlock marketing techniques that target our weaknesses.
In Australia, ultra-processed food consumption is estimated to contribute more than a third of total diet-related environmental impacts.
These ultra-processed unhealthy foods disproportionately impact low-income communities.
The foods that drive up obesity prevalence are often cheaper and more accessible than healthy alternatives.
The true cost of such unhealthy foods is passed on through the harm done to people’s lives and increased costs within the health system.
Research released in March 2023 indicated that more than half the global population will be living with being overweight or obese within 12 years if prevention, treatment and support do not improve.
There is not a country on the planet that does not have an increasing level of obesity.
Further, it is possible for people to be obese and suffer from malnutrition at the same time, when foods are high in energy and low in quality nutrients.
For these reasons, the Justice and International Mission Cluster has made the theme for our Convention, to be held on Saturday (October 5), about the social justice dimensions of food, after our supporters indicated it was the topic they were most interested in.
Places are still available at the Convention, to be held at the Centre for Theology and Ministry in Parkville, and can be booked by email at [email protected]
