By Ana Diaz —
Recently, students and faculty gathered in Rentschler Hall on the Hamilton campus for the final Faculty Unhinged discussion of the Fall 2024 semester. This session was a talk given by Janelle Allen, a faculty member at Miami with a background in biology and physiology. She is passionate about people having equitable access to nutrient-rich foods. She discussed why access to these foods is in danger, and how we can do something about it, even as busy people who may not have space to garden.
According to Allen, because of loss of topsoil over the last 150 years, as well as modern agricultural techniques that strip soil of essential nutrients, our food isn’t as nutrient-dense as it should be. To Allen, a big part of food equity is widespread access to food that is rich in nutrients. Because multiple complex social factors are at play in today’s society, many people are being deprived of nutrient-rich foods and a “more wholesome connection to the soil.”
But, can we do anything about this? Most of the food we buy comes from the grocery store, and most people don’t have the ability to start their own homesteads and grow everything they eat. Allen had plenty of suggestions for taking small, reasonable steps to make a difference. One suggestion she made, if we’re serious about making a difference, is to work on eliminating food waste. A great deal of our food waste ends up in landfills, where it decomposes but doesn’t help enrich growing food crops or go into dedicated compost piles. People can start their own compost bins, which we can do fairly cheaply and with relatively little space. If you aren’t able to start your own compost pile, you can donate your food waste to local organizations or community gardens. This is an easy way to redirect your normal food waste to an effort that is dedicated to providing access to healthy, nutrient-rich food to everyone.
In addition, you can start your own garden by growing what you like to eat and using natural compost and your own food waste to fertilize your garden. You can even grow some things like herbs indoors if you have a spot by a window. If you don’t have the space for a garden, you might look for opportunities to get involved with a local community garden.
Allen wants everyone to know that it’s easy to feel removed and detached from the issue, because we are generally very detached from the sources of our food. Most of us don’t know where our food comes from before it arrives at the grocery store. Even though big, industry-wide change won’t happen overnight, she wants us to know that we can still find empowerment and ways to make a difference. She wants everyone to “be creative” in finding solutions to nutrient availability and food access for themselves and future generations.
The discussion concluded with a lively question-and-answer session. People had lots of questions, which Prof. Allen answered enthusiastically and passionately. She clearly feels strongly that more equitable access to nutrient rich foods, and a connection to the soil, can help people be healthier and feel better, and thinks everyone deserves those opportunities.