Capitalism, U.S Colonialism, and Food Insecurity
Throughout the world there are many communities where food insecurity is a severe issue. Millions of people globally do not know for sure where their next meal will come from or if they will be able to purchase more food once they run out. In a majority of cases it is not due to lack of existing food but rather because of a lack of money to buy food or lack of physical access to food. The systems of capitalism and colonialism in place globally cause food insecurity for millions of people, in some cases starvation. Without systems like capitalism and colonialism holding humanity back, we can make sure that every single person is fed and nourished.
There are several reasons why a community may not have adequate access to all the food it needs. One reason that it is impossible to completely eradicate food insecurity is natural disasters or events such as hurricanes, droughts, floods, landslides, etc. Controlling natural weather events is not something feasible and when they hit we can only hope to be prepared and have swift responses and aid. The second reason people or communities may not have access to all the foods they need is because we live in a capitalist world where without money people cannot access foods. In a world split into classes, a wealthier class and a working class, the working class will always have precarious access to food while the wealthy class will always have the ability to easily purchase food. The capitalist government and economy is structured in a way that always puts profits before all else, even the well-being of humans. With the amount of billionaires on Earth, food insecurity could have been eradicated multiple times by now, but due to greed capitalists prefer to hoard their wealth at the expense of many others.
The United States is a settler-colonial state that exists because of the violent colonization that occurred on the North American continent. This dark stain on the history of humanity caused massive amounts of food insecurity, starvation, and death. Intentionally. Yes, the United States intentionally used food and access to food as a weapon against the Indigenous peoples of North America. One example is the systemic endeavor to wipe out the buffalo populations that were vital to many indigenous people. In modern times, the U.S continues to oppress people indigenous to North America, one example being through limiting their access to their ancestral lands and ancestral ways of living. This is also seen in Palestine where the occupying settler-colonial forces of Israel and the United States are using access to food as a weapon against Palestinians. In Gaza, there is a complete blockade being enforced by the Israeli Offensive Forces, the IOF. In the past, for years all food going into Gaza has been completely monitored and dieticians/nutrition scientists have even worked with the army to ensure they are counting exactly how many calories the people in Gaza were receiving. (Spoiler: it was not an adequate amount, which violates one of the pillars of human nutrition.) Since October 7, 2023 Gaza has been under a complete blockade of food and millions now are starving and dying of starvation. For centuries the United States has participated in colonialism on its stolen territories and abroad, resulting in the starvation and death of millions.
Clearly capitalism and colonialism are systems that do not work in the favor of humans and alternative ways of living must be imagined and realized. For thousands of years, prior to the rise of capitalism and European colonialism, humans lived without capitalism, showing that capitalism is not inherent to humanity and there is an alternative. When society is organized in a way that always puts the well-being of people and the planet first, food insecurity will be adequately tackled. Decisions should always be made on what will produce the best outcome for humans, animals, and all life on Earth, instead of being made based on what will fill more pockets.
