Author Archives: jemitchelllaguna

Evaluating Food Justice Initiatives

migrant farmer

This summer I undertook a project under the supervision of Canidce Lowe Swift that evaluated existing initiatives for food justice. In this case, we studied a small facet of the food justice world, which was justice for farm workers. To do this, I conducted participatory observation by interning with the Rural and Migrant Ministry (RMM). This is a nongovernmental organization that works for equality and justice for rural and migrant workers in the Hudson valley, in partnership with other branches that work for the larger New York area. Migrant farmers are those farm laborors who might move from farm to farm each season or each year, sometimes from other parts of the country, and often from other parts of the world. My first goal was to understand the conditions that create inequality for migrant workers. What governmental and social attitudes exist now that contribute to the extreme poverty that many migrant farmers live in? These issues include issues of immigration documentation, language barriers, lasting effects of slavery, and racism which manifest themselves in coercive and oppressive labor conditions. We also aimed to understand the existing projects that the RMM is undertaking in terms of achieving political and social change. How does the organization address the multifaceted issues facing farm workers? I studied, therefore, the political demonstrations, organizations, and actions that are coordinated by the RMM. In addition, I became involved with several different projects within the RMM, which included a very large focus on empowering youth who come from rural or migrant families. Lastly, I studied the function of the office as a case study for the demographics who are involved in working for justice, wether farm workers themselves were present, and how this may or may not have affected the organizations efficacy. Overall, I discovered that the group does and incredible amount for empowering voices for the future, and for attempting to influence policy. The RMM, however, was at times out of touch with the diverse groups of peoples that comprise farm laborers, often have a limited base for their own research due to the way in which the workers make connections within the farm community, and undertake very little poverty relief type aid. However, I see the last issue as the difference between charity work and social justice work, or good distribution versus empowerment. This fall I am continuing my work with the RMM for both personal and academic reasons, hoping to understand these issues for further research with my professor, and for understanding my role in social justice initiates in the future.