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Our food system is out of balance, and it’s time to take action.
Current food policies prioritize corporate interests at the expense of our health, the environment, and working families. This has led to spikes in obesity and type-2 diabetes, costing taxpayers billions of dollars each year. If you are elected president, I urge you to take bold steps to reform our food system to make sure every American has equal access to healthy, affordable food that is fair to workers, good for the environment, and keeps farmers on the land.
Millions of Americans agree that its time for our leaders to start talking about food. Supermarkets, convenience stores and fast-food outlets offer an endless supply of cheap processed junk foods. Meanwhile, fresh fruits and vegetables, and healthy prepared foods, are unaffordable for many Americans—and in many neighborhoods, hard to find.
The consequences are all around us – from climate change to polluted waterways to sub-minimum wage for food workers and their families. For the first time in a century, children born in the 2000s had a lower life expectancy than their parents, thanks to spiking rates of obesity and diet-related diseases, adding billions of dollars each year to our national health care bill.
This public health crisis reflects a broken food system propped up by a set of agricultural subsidies and other government policies, created and maintained by powerful lobbyists. This system relies on the exploitation of workers, damages the environment, and puts a financial squeeze on farmers. It doesn’t have to be this way. The next president can and should lead with a plan to make sure every American has access to healthy, affordable food that is fair to food workers, good for the environment, and improves farmers’ livelihoods. As candidates hit the campaign trail, we want them to prioritize fixing our food system.
We need you to join us as we tell the next president to prioritize fixing our food system. Download this toolkit for ideas and resources to help build the movement for change.
Plate of the Union is a collaborative campaign driven by Food Policy Action, Food Policy Action Education Fund, the Union of Concerned Scientists, and the HEAL Food Alliance to raise the voice of Americans who care about food and farm issues during this election season. The policies that shape our food system influence our health, our environment, and our economy. Together, we’re calling on the next President to take bold action for a food system that rewards farmers and farming practices that protect our environment, that provides dignity and fair wages to workers, and ensures that all Americans have access to healthy food that they can afford.
The Food Policy Action Education Fund, established in 2015, aims to change the national dialogue on food policy through public education educational and grassroots advocacy. Food Policy Action was established in 2012 through a collaboration of national food policy leaders in order to hold legislators accountable on votes that have an effect on food and farming.
The Union of Concerned Scientists puts rigorous, independent science to work to solve our planet's most pressing problems. Joining with citizens across the country, we combine technical analysis and effective advocacy to create innovative, practical solutions for a healthy, safe, and sustainable future.
The HEAL (Health Environment Agriculture and Labor) Food Alliance is a newly forming alliance bringing together rural and urban farmers, farmworkers, food service, and production workers -- with agricultural policy experts, scientists, community organizers, and activists of all ages to affect policy change in our national food system, from the corner store to the school cafeteria to Capitol Hill. Together, we’re developing and organizing a Real Food Roadmap for transformative change.
By adding your name to the Plate of the Union campaign, you will receive updates from the campaign and coalition partners, keeping you updated on our progress and opportunities to take action on this campaign.
Plate of the Union is a coalition of organizations including Food Policy Action, Food Policy Action Education Fund, The Union of Concerned Scientists and the HEAL Food Alliance. We respect your right to privacy and are committed to maintaining your confidence and trust.
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