By Rev. Norma Malfatti (Christ the King, Vestal)

Did you know that how we eat matters; that the choices we make in the grocery store directly impact world hunger and poverty? Prior to attending the ELCA Region 7 Ethics of Eating event I had no idea just how much my power as a consumer of food effected my neighbors down the street and around the globe. That all changed after the three-day retreat at Camp Men-O-Lan where I and other hunger leaders learned from ELCA World Hunger staff about how food is produced and distributed in the United States, US farming practices and how it all relates to hunger, health, worker rights and the environment - four justice issues that I am passionate about.

There is no easy place to start when talking about hunger and eating practices. We have come to rely on a very complex system to feed people. Our U.S. food system produces a lot of food very inexpensively, which is both a good thing and a bad thing. Many in our country and around the globe need access to this inexpensive food in order to eat - they cannot afford anything else. However, just because food is inexpensive does not mean that it is nutritious. Much of the inexpensive food in our supermarkets and food pantries has helped lead to the rising obesity rates in our country, especially among lower income households that rely on inexpensive food to eat. Part of the reason the food is so cheap to purchase is because much of the labor that goes into producing our food - fruit, vegetables, grains and meat alike - is from low-wage workers, many of whom are undocumented. Often employed only part-time or seasonally, their employers do not provide health care benefits, compounding their health problems. Though this is only a snapshot of our global food system, it begins to tell the story of food in the United States.

In the face our food industry what is it then that we can really do? First and foremost, buy and eat locally. One of the highlights of Ethics of Eating was being at an organic CSA (consumer supported agriculture) farm, where we learned how local farmers are working with their communities to turn the tide of access to health foods while caring for the land they are working on. Locate a CSA, food co-op in your area by visiting www.localharvest.org. Second, get educated. Visit www.elca.org/hunger to learn more.